The Eastern Partnership Project of AEGEE first started in 2011 and was built upon the EU’s project of Eastern Partnership which was created in 2008-09. Since then, it has reunited young and talented students from the European continent, EaP countries and even from Turkey and Russia around a common goal: to encourage and to empower youth, to raise awareness about the European Union in the Neighbourhood and about the EaP countries in Europe.

The EU’s EaP Project aims at encouraging better relations between the EU and its new direct eastern neighbors, after the enlargement in 2004 and 2007, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

I think the first objective of the Eastern Partnership Project of AEGEE was to give a youth’s perspective to the project, which was lacking in the first program that did include as priority contact people-to-. While the EU project was very technically orientated, the AEGEE project aimed at making it less ambiguous and discussed it between young people. As a result, the project mainly focused on getting young people to know what EaP was, have discussions with Eastern Partnership youth on what they want from the EU, and have debates on what this EU project is about. An example can be following Euromaidan in Ukraine, the theme of “building democracy” for the Agora 2015, Observation mission that was organized in collaboration with AEO, advocacy for visa free travel, or for youth to be heard better within the EU project. Our project allowed AEGEE-Europe to join important umbrella organizations such as the EaP Civil Society Forum to accomplish this. EaP Project board members had decisive roles in these organizations and allowed AEGEE’s goals and values to be represented and influence decision making.

We still continue the legacy of the project by participating in Human Right Days, or youth debates on what Eastern Partnership is. However, as the EU’s Eastern Partnership evolved including more youth and higher mobility, including free visa travel for half of the EaP countries, our goals and mission evolved as well. The main problem seemed to be that the EaP countries still appear underrepresented. The EaP project can feel like the diplomacy of the EU is well represented in its neighborhood while that of the EaP countries remains wanting for more. This is a problem that could also rise within AEGEE: we are one of the only European networks to be so large and inclusive that we include voices from not just beyond the EU borders, EPM-Yerevan is one great example, but also beyond conflict lines.

AEGEE is the key to Europe also because it provides a platform for communication and exchange between young people from all of Europe. It develops a culture of peace and equal opportunities beyond just the EU borders. The EaP project values this transcontinental identity and wants to make sure that non-EU members have a better platform to share their experience, knowledge and culture.  

It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t speak about the EU’s issues like Brexit, the upcoming European elections, etc., but first, some of these issues could be better framed to include everyone. Second, a large part of the continent remains untapped which gives us a huge opportunity to enlarge our network and allow for more young people to discover AEGEE and contribute to shape the Key to Europe. Lastly, we think that although the EU has a lot to offer in regard to its neighborhood, we believe that there cannot be any long term political and economic developments without a real partnership of equals. This means that the young voices from Eastern Europe need to be heard and positively influence the West as they too have experience that can help resolve issues that we face.

For this, we need to change people’s mindsets. There have been massive events that took place recently, but we hear about it only when it is linked to a “revolution” or “war”. Why don’t we speak of South Caucasus as the inventors of wine (6000 BC), having millennium cultures, creative minds with modern sense of fashion, and the best night clubs in Europe? Who has followed the Armenian news post-revolution? Who has visited Belarus or Azerbaijan? Who has experienced getting a visa?

Our aims now, therefore, are to encourage knowledge about the region through the voice of the local youth. This means also giving a voice to those who don’t have access to AEGEE because they are not living in the capital. Events and exchanges promote people-to-people contact and allow youth from all over the network to meet, but most importantly, encourage the culture to be a bit less EU centric and more inclusive. The recent study trips to Georgia, the new antenna in Batumi and Kutaisi, and the exchange that will follow this year on diversity and inclusion with AEGEE-Tbilisi and AEGEE-Amsterdam have this aim.

Finally, as the objectives changed, the target regions changed as well. Russia is also part of AEGEE’s EaP Project because in Russia as well, there are a lot of barriers, a fear to visit, and the idea that except for St Petersburg and the Kremlin, there is nothing else to see. Transib’s and Tyumen’s NYE events show the diversity of Russia, and our project aims at encouraging this. Therefore, we decided to organize a study trip on the theme of diversity to encourage the discovery of the different languages of Russia (Yep, there are several), its history, and culture.  

What particular projects are you currently working on?

The Eastern Partnership Project + is currently working on a lot of amazing projects and events, both internal events, as well as projects in cooperation with other bodies and/or Locals.

For example, we’re currently planning our first live meeting in 2019 which will take place in April in Kyiv. Furthermore, we’re planning the next edition of EaP+ Action Week, the online consultation during the EPM Fair in Izmir, and workshop proposals for the upcoming Agora in Bucharest. We’re also putting a lot of effort into ‘Minorities in Russia’, a project dedicated to Russian ethnicities. The first step, an interactive map, is ready and you can check it out at http://umap.openstreetmap.fr/fr/map/minorities-in-russia_277297#3/56.27/93.34  

Another big and exciting event will be the exchange between AEGEE-Amsterdam and AEGEE-Tbilisi

We plan on cooperating with some of this year’s hosting Locals of the spring Network Meetings in the near future. We’re always open for collaboration and it is a pleasure to see our team growing and more people getting interested by our project.

Externally, we’re also planning some nice things. After the super successful study trip to Georgia, we have decided to use our gained knowledge to stick to the idea of study trips and organize some more. In term of advocacy, we would like to support a collaboration with the EU-Russia CSF

Have you been cooperating with other AEGEE bodies and projects, for instance, Network Meetings, Summer Universities, New Year Events etc.?

Sure, we have successfully cooperated with several bodies – ERWG, ECWG, CEWG, Migration interest group, Language interest group, Gender Equality interest group and HRC for Human Rights Days, AEGEE-Academy for a workshop at an SU, Politics interest group for several activities (as one of our members is also active there). We are open to new cooperation with different bodies and locals, feel free to approach us!

Eastern Europe and South Caucasus are definitely sub regions that are constantly ‘in the news’: upheavals, velvet revolutions and protests, foreign policy changes, numerous different cultures… Can AEGEE as a youth organization contribute towards a civil society in EaP countries, and how?

AEGEE can and should take part in it on many levels. We aim at empowering young people in the region by means of civic education and by encouraging critical thinking. As a multinational organization, AEGEE contributes to conflict resolution by supporting a culture of peace and diversity, collaborating with umbrella organizations like CSF. It provides young people with the opportunity to develop a strong network of people who care and who can make a change.

Anything you would like to add?

We’re happy to receive members who believes in our mission and goals, have the will to develop their skills, especially from the EaP countries. Right now, we are specifically interested in HR and IT as we want to upgrade our website. However, our team would be happy to answer any questions if you would like to join or are generally interested in the project. You can contact us on our Facebook page or by e-mail at aegee.eap@gmail.com.

From the 20th to the 24th of May, AEGEE-Kraków in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Project of AEGEE-Europe (EaP) will organise a convention on the Eastern Partnership in the city of Kraków, Poland. The convention will host 23 people from all around Europe and will tackle issues such as European integration and the international relations with the countries from the Eastern Parnership. The AEGEEan spoke to Katarzyna Kluczka, organiser of the event, and Marta Wnuk, member of the EaP.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to organise the event?
Katarzyna: AEGEE-Kraków has quite an experience in hosting international events, so as a strong and motivated antenna, we wanted to continue this tradition. Personally, I have been interested in the Eastern Partnership Project since I came into contact with it during Network Meeting in Poznań. I have dreamt about becoming more involved, so as soon as the opportunity to coordinate this event appeared, I had to take my chance. I wanted to be part of EaP in any way possible and this position gives me and my fantastic team a chance to become part of something great. In my opinion, here and now, we can redefine the term “integration” by showing our participants it is possible to create a united Europe with no political or economical borders, if only there is the will and ideas to change the current state. This vision makes me very enthusiastic and is one of the main driving forces to be the host of the Eastern Partnership Youth Convention.

Why Kraków?
If we ask foreigners which cities in Poland are the most familiar to them, we can be sure that Kraków will be at the top of the ranking. It attracts tourists from all over the world, offering rich history at every step – whether in words of inhabitants, or just by looking at monuments that surround us. Kraków has been the cultural heart of Poland for centuries. It has always been a symbol of many nations coexisting together in peace and harmony, sharing innovations and stories. Taking this into account, Kraków is the perfect city to host the Eastern Partnership Youth Convention and boast about cultural heritage. However, there are more than this reason why our city has the privilege of inviting 23 active, young people from the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries. For centuries Kraków was the capital of Poland and the main seat for kings. Nowadays it is called the capital of students and the little homeland for migrants. Also, I can proudly assure you, AEGEE-Kraków is very well-prepared to organise this event, being one of the most active and strongly developed antennae. Our members believe that they are young people who, today, can create the growth and innovation of tomorrow. To sum up: the charm of Kraków, the city itself, being a symbol of friendly cooperation between nations and the activity of society, are the main factors why Kraków is the best location for a project concerning the collaboration of the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries.

What can participants expect from the event?
To begin with, a warm welcome and great enthusiasm of the organisers! We can’t wait to meet these fantastic young people! I hope they will be satisfied. The workshops prepared by the Content Team sound thrilling – inspiration will be the keyword of this event. Another one can be the power of the team – I hope we will all become a well-knitted group who can learn from each other and share ideas or common experience. The location of workshops – The Embassy of Cracovians – is perfect for this kind of project – it is very cosy, well-equipped and also situated very close to the main square. You will love it! Another advantage: it is near to the One World Hostel, where the participants will be accommodated. Also, the food participants get will represent the traditional Polish cuisine – the part of our culture we are very proud of. And of course, there will be a lot of AEGEE spirit. Apart from the workshops we have planned integration activities and parties, the perfect mix for a successful event!

Can you tell us what the convention is about?
Marta: The Eastern Partnership Youth Convention is an event that will gather 23 young leaders coming both from EaP countries and EU states that focuses on foreign policy and state of relations between the EU and the EaP countries with regard to current international situation.

The participants will be introduced to the Eastern Partnership programme (EaP) and its main features. We want to identify the problems that the European continent is currently facing in this area, build an understanding image around them, and work on common approach to solve these problems.  The final result of the Convention will be a set of recommendations towards the European institutions on how the EaP programme should be improved according to young experts on the topic (our participants).

What is the role of the Eastern Partnership Project inside AEGEE?
The project’s values are based on belief that this initiative is an important element of AEGEE’s mission of bridging Europe. By our activity we would like to raise the level of knowledge about the Eastern Partnership countries and help to build understanding around issues that concern them. Our project organises various workshops during AEGEE events, writes articles and issues monthly newsletters. However, we do not restricts ourselves to delivering information. We see importance of discussion and exchange of views. We proposed the topic and helped to shape the content of EPM Burgos and right now we are in the process of organising the Convention. We see our role as advocates of the six EaP countries, which still remain an unknown part of Europe for many.

Why do you think bridging Europe is important?
It’s a question of European integration in fact. One of the biggest achievements of AEGEE was the decision on establishing new locals in Eastern Europe beyond borders of the EU. Now when our continent is free of the Iron Curtain there is still a need to create more links between its Western and Eastern parts. Awareness of the six EaP countries always remains an important issue to tackle. Bringing attention to the region helps to get more recognition and support.

Eastern Partnership is an EU programme oriented on making links between the EU countries and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. Our project within AEGEE aims to bring this vision to AEGEEans and to build integrated Europe through the bottom-up approach, by involvement of young people.

Taking in consideration the current situation of Ukraine, what can be done by AEGEEans and young people in general to make the situation better?
I believe that communication and direct contact are always the key elements in conflict situations. Common projects allowing to meet and exchange opinions in a discussion-friendly environment can lead to facilitation of mutual understanding between all sides. Young people perhaps cannot change politics in a substantial way, but they can invest in themselves by becoming more knowledgeable, aware and open-minded people and in this way becoming advocates of consensus and spread this attitude about the crisis to others.

Written by Ruben Navarro, AEGEE-Tarragona

On the 1st of December, Moldova woke up with the results of the parliamentary elections that would decide the direction that this small landlocked country would have taken. Bordering a European Union member state (Romania) and Ukraine, Moldova faces a similar challenge as their Eastern Partnership neighbours: keeping their ties with Russia, or pushing towards Europe?

Arrived in Chișinău, one could easily guess that there was something very relevant going on in the city. Giant panels with propaganda for the Moldovan parliamentary elections were spread all over the Stephen the Great’s boulevard, the main alley in the city. Some of them proudly showed the European Union (EU) flag and highlighted the European values and aspirations that Moldova aims to reach. Others, instead, voiced a strong anti-EU message – or, better said, a rather ‘pro-Russian’ message: “It’s better to be rich with Russia than to be poor in an indebted Europe!”, one could read on the panels from the Communist Party. Even Vladimir Putin’s face appeared in one of the panels: the Socialist Party showcased a picture of its leaders having a friendly talk with the Russian president.

It was clear from the start that Moldovan citizens had to make an important decision on November 30th. Since 2009, when the pro-European coalition entered in the government, the small country has been taking progressive steps to strive for a bigger commitment towards the EU and to meet the European standards. The country entered the Eastern Partnership and became what many consider its “star pupil”, as the magazine New Eastern Europe quoted. Its ties with Russia, though, are still strong and some feared that the contagion of the Ukrainian crisis could hit Moldova hard – in fact, its main exports, especially Moldovan wine, have been strongly affected by Russian bans for long.

In this context, it is relevant to highlight one of the main happenings before the Moldovan elections. Just 72 hours before the kick-off of the election day, the pro-Russian party Patria  (‘Homeland’) was banned from taking part in the elections after being accused of receiving funds from Russia. The party was expected to get around 13% of the total votes, so this wasn’t minor news – partly, because of the secrecy in which the Moldovan Justice Court had acted, as several experts acknowledged. Some feared that this would provoke a civil unrest similar to the Ukrainian EuroMaidan but from the Russian side, and  five people were even arrested the day before the elections, suspected of planning violent protests after the elections.

AEGEE-Europe observes on the spot

Twenty-two AEGEEans were deployed throughout the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, on the election day. From the early morning, when the polls were opened, until the end of the counting session, around 55 polling stations were visited. There was the general consensus among the observers that there had not been any major irregularities throughout the day, and that polling stations were generally well-equipped and organised.

However, the breakdown of the electronic voter registration system early in the morning was one of the highlights of the day. Long queues and overcrowding of the polling stations made it difficult at times to observe the procedure, and sometimes voters themselves were disoriented on which was the exact procedure in order to vote.

The long day was culminated by the counting process. One of the most striking things was the presence of several observers in the polling stations. From domestic observers, many of them representing several of the Moldovan political parties, but also civil society organisations, to international observers whom some of us could talk to.

Nonetheless, these national observers from political parties played an influential role during the counting process, sometimes obstructing it, arguing with the members of the polling station, and giving their opinion on the validity of votes (when, according to the election observers code of conduct, observers cannot have an active role, neither obstruct the overall election process) and acting rather coercively at times. As a matter of fact, many of the voters of the banned party ‘Patria’ did anyway cast their vote for them, so the number of invalid votes in several polling stations was remarkably high.

And now, which direction will Moldova take?

After the counting at the polling stations finished, some observers headed to the Moldovan Central Election Commission, where the first results were announced – and they were quite unexpected. “The Socialists have won”, one of the Moldovan journalists told us right when we got inside. Indeed, the Liberal Democrat Party of Moldova, the leader of the pro-European coalition in power, paid the price of being in the government for the past five years, and lost nine seats in Parliament.

Despite that, the final results showed that the three parties that formed the Alliance for European Integration kept the majority, winning 53 seats out of 101. The opposition got a close result of 48 seats – 26 for the Socialists, and 22 for the Communists, even though they refuse to cooperate and make a strong opposition together.

While the negotiations to form a new government are ongoing, these results might give wings to those who hope for stronger ties between Moldova and the European Union. However, one cannot elude the fact that a party which claimed it would be “better being with Russia” and which proudly showcased Putin’s face in their posters has actually won the elections. Throughout the past five years, the pro-EU coalition government in Moldova has been rather fragile and feared a breakdown several times, even though the aspirations of Moldova in Europe are pretty clear.

After the elections, the question is still unanswered – which direction is Moldova taking?

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona & Election Observation Project

The Eastern Partnership Project concluded last November in Autumn Agora Zaragoza, where their results were presented. But that does not mean it is over. The latest developments in the countries of the Eastern Partnership, and especially the EaP Summit in Vilnius, have shown that there is still a lot of work to do, and so The AEGEEan has spoken to Adrian Browarczyk (AEGEE-Poznan), Project Manager of the new Eastern Partnership Project, about their future plans.

The AEGEEan: Adrian, the Eastern Partnership Project concluded in Zaragoza with a standing ovation to the team. Now is the turn for the EaP[2]: why was it decided to launch a second ‘edition’ of the EaP?

Adrian Browarczyk: Since 2010 many things have changed. The EU program developed into an important diplomatic tool in frames of the Neighbourhood Policy. A significant number of binding agreements has been signed between interested sides and the level of bilateral cooperation between EU and EaP countries is quite gratifying even though some of the target countries proved their independence of choice in a surprising way (i.e. Armenia suddenly assigned to Customs Union roadmap at the end of 2013). Nonetheless, internally we also managed to step further by bringing the issue closer to an ordinary AEGEEan by means of a series of conferences, workshops, trainings and cultural events. In total we did a great job we are still proud of. Such backpack filled in with valuable experiences made us feel that we cannot leave the matter that quickly – it appeared that many crucial challenges are still far ahead which obviously means we are obliged to keep going with the undertaking Alla Resheten and others are parenting.

Which points is this edition going to have in common with its predecessor?

First of all, I would like to emphasise that even if we decided to keep the name of the project, we share the logo in a refreshed version and the team structure to a certain point resembles the previous one, we are basically a new creation issued by people who significantly didn’t contribute to EaP before. Nevertheless, as for the points we do share, I am proud to state that some of the members of EaP, namely Alla Resheten, Daryna Skryl and Armenak Minasyants, granted us with their support and advice – they form today a consultancy body which i.e. points out things we could focus on and motivates us to work further on things they find important. Furthermore, regarding the thematic sphere, a new project crew came up with the idea of centering on civil society development in six program countries as well as on promotion of active citizenship and raising awareness of its importance within our network, mainly in the EaP area. These points coincide with the priorities EaP had before, yet we aim at developing them by adding the value of structured dialogue and studies on gender equality in target societies.

And which new things are you planning to introduce?

I would like to begin with the team structure. Firstly, we introduced a position of the Impact Measurement Manager. This move was motivated mainly by our willingness to examine the impact we have in a structured way, keeping it transparent and helpful for generations to come. Secondly, when I was thinking about the strategy our project should implement, I realized that we need a group of people helping us in seeking for materials, analyzing resources and supporting in content creation. These are the reasons our Research team was constituted. Thirdly, as for the project’s plans, I would see us closely cooperating with locals from EaP region in terms of promoting liaison relations, organizing events related to main project aims and also sharing an overview on things we may not be aware of. Being visible externally by strengthening links with our partners (i.e. Civil Society Forum) and taking active part in shaping policy AEGEE-Europe strives for are among goals I would like to achieve with our team.

Can you tell us about activities that you are currently planning?

As we are currently brainstorming about the action agenda I am only able to name these ones we really would like to happen. Apart from organizing a series of trainings on youth participation and related topics, we are planning to help locals in hosting Active Citizenship Action Days. The event formula will be chosen in cooperation with hosting antenna, nonetheless we would like to follow the example of the convention YVote 2014 Project has created. Moreover, as we do see the importance of democratic processes, we have established already a link with the Election Observation Project which allows us to contribute to a wide range of election observation missions. Some of our members participate in the Short-Term Observer E-Learning course organized by OSCE /ODIHR in order to gain the knowledge that will allow them to legally examine elections’ reality mainly in the Eastern Partnership region. Regarding other initiatives we plan to undertake I would mention a two-week long “Bus/Train tour” through Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova with participants from the Eastern Partnership area and other European countries. The event will target the promotion of the structured dialogue at all levels and  will also underline the importance of being an active citizen in mentioned countries. Panel discussions with experts, different workshops and trainings will be organized in order to achieve the main project goals. As for the activities we would like to hold in a bigger external perspective I would name the ones where we are considered as partners: the side event of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum that will take place this autumn in Tbilisi and a series of initiatives mentioned by Armenak Minasyants, the Policy Officer on European Integration, in his Action Agenda. Eventually I am sharing with you our current action achievements: apart from publishing a couple of articles, participating in EaP Young Leaders Forum, organizing workshops at Zaragora and NWM Poznan, we recently supported the conference on recent Ukrainian events in Lille and we set up a cooperation with AEGEE-Bratislava in order to provide them with content during their SU organized along with AEGEE-Lviv and AEGEE-Odessa. Two other ‘work-together’ suggestions appeared lately from Europe On Track 2 and EuroArab sides – stay tuned and do not miss updates on our brand new website!

At the same time, the protests in Ukraine struck short after the Agora in Zaragoza. Has it influenced the ideas of the project in some way?

We feel much more motivated and eager to follow the thematic direction we have chosen. Recent events in Ukraine proved that the state of active citizenship there still remains a challenge to work on. Both sides of these clashes showed that Ukrainian people are not fully acquainted with the model of civil society other European countries share. Therefore, we would like to contribute to changes that will surely happen not only in Ukraine but also in the whole region. We would like to support the EaP youth in their call for democracy and the rule of law. I feel that with our project we are able to have an impact to a certain extent on the birth of the societies completely aware of their rights.

What about you, Adrian: what motivated you to be the Project Manager?

Adrian Browarczyk

It was a conjunction of different circumstances. The main reason I considered becoming the Project Manager was Alla’s suggestion at the previous EaP live meeting in Brussels last spring. I was thinking about it a lot during summer holidays, noodling over whether my leading skills and strengths are sufficient for such task. When I counted up the possibilities this challenge brings along I decided on stepping further and taking the responsibility of managing the project. From the very beginning I had people around who supported me with so much needed advice at that time. With Roland Papp (AEGEE-Budapest) and Marta Wnuk (AEGEE-Poznań) we dealt together with the first tasks and shaping the idea we would like to implement straight after Spring Agora Patra. I would also like to mention my personal interest in the Eastern Partnership issue, which has been developing since I was accepted as a member of the project’s team in 2012. My motivation grew when I had a possibility to represent AEGEE-Europe with Armenak Minasyants at Eastern Partnership Youth Forum in Kaunas last October. Since then everything seems to be moving in the right direction.

During your time in the first Eastern Partnership Project, which were the most valuable lessons that you learnt?

I finally got used to function in the international environment of youth activists who really did see the importance of the matter they worked on. We faced many quaint questions which I liked a lot as at the same time I was developing my interest in specific areas (I did research on Moldovan and Transnistrian youth and topics related to the internet freedom in Azerbaijan). We used to work late with grant applications and other tasks which actually determined my further work profile – EaP team mates receive my emails even at 4 in the morning. Another lesson I learnt is that while cooperating with partners from EaP region you must be very patient because some of the topics you touch are sometimes differently perceived. Nonetheless, over one year of active membership made me feel that I acquired enough knowledge to work on my own from now on.

Which are the outcomes you would like the project to have?

As a team we are certain that adding a youth perspective to the Eastern Partnership initiative of the European Union will be a significant contribution to building a united European society. I believe that we will be able to influence the recognition of youth power in target societies and that our work will contribute to establishing a strong civil society based on youth engagement. Consequently, I do hope we will successfully raise awareness on the role that active citizenship has in the transition states and that we will obtain young people with knowledge and tools regarding citizens’ rights and duties. I also believe that, by means of our actions in cooperation with the Election Observation Project, we will prove the importance of the participation in voting processes. Finally, I wish we will effectively promote and therefore increase effectiveness of Eastern Partnership program youth involved in the structured dialogue led with EU and regional stakeholders

Team structure of the Eastern Partnership Project:

CORE TEAM:

• Project Manager – Adrian Browarczyk, AEGEE-Poznań
• Content Managers – Roland Papp, AEGEE-Budapest and Marta Wnuk, AEGEE-Poznań
• Impact Measurement Manager – Léa Hannaoui-Saulais, AEGEE-Lille
• Financial Manager – Claudio Armandi, AEGEE-Napoli
• FR Manager – Zoltán Hradszky, AEGEE-Budapest
• PR Manager – Mert Can Yilmaz, AEGEE-Ankara

TEAM MEMBERS:

• FR Support team: Izawetta Manuel, AEGEE-Poznań and Cerem Çavdar, AEGEE-Ankara
• PR Support team: Clemens Adler, AEGEE-Karlsruhe and Alice Nitsch, AEGEE-Bamberg

RESEARCH:

• Damiano Deidda, AEGEE-Cagliari
• Saskia Heller, AEGEE-Hamburg
• Mara Bubberman, AEGEE-Groningen
• Ferran Huidobro Casamitjana, AEGEE-Tarragona
• Ivan Bielik, AEGEE-Brno

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Madalena Sousa might have been living in Brussels for a while, but it was less than one month ago that she moved her work place to the head office to work for AEGEE-Europe. The AEGEEan took the opportunity to talk to Madalena and hear about her work at the house.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What have you been studying? What are your interests? 

Madalena: I am Madalena Sousa, from Portugal. I moved to Brussels last summer to take a Master’s Degree in Educational Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Since very early I have been involved and active in the youth field at local, national and international level as a volunteer, youth leader, and trainer/facilitator and in 2009 started working in the Portuguese National Youth Council, where I was Policy Officer responsible for Non-Formal Education, Environment and Life Quality and also for Youth Associativism and Participation. At the same time in this platform I was Co-coordinator of the Pool of Trainers.

My academic background is in social education and as part of my studies I have made an international internship in Brazil, for three months on a research project: “Evaluation and participation on-line and off-line: integrated and inter-institutional studies about the best case practices for evaluation, inclusion and participation”.

However, considering my previous experience in the youth movement and my field of studies I am passionate about Management and Innovation in Education.

Did you know about AEGEE before applying for the position?

Considering my previous international experiences in the youth sector being involved in activities organised by the Youth Forum I had the chance to meet AEGEE people.

Recently in the scope of my Master studies AEGEE-Europe was the organization that my working group selected for the Select Chapters on Education and Training Course. There, I had the opportunity to know more about the way it is structured, the different bodies, the working areas and in specific the educational approach that AEGEE has, its implementation and how the learning processes are managed.

How did you hear about the possibility to work for AEGEE-Europe in Brussels?

I might say that it was a good coincidence while I was reading the Courier of the Youth Forum and the name of AEGEE pop-up to my eyes. I decided to open the link and taking into consideration the very good and positive impression due to my working group visit, my field of studies and my previous background in the youth sector I saw an amazing opportunity that I would like to be part in.

What convinced you to apply for the position?

As I explained before I was very much identified with AEGEE values and at the same time to go deeper in the education field related to my Master, as well as interested in having a European experience in the youth field. The position seemed the perfect opportunity to link the practical and the theoretical approach of my study fields in the perfect environment that is AEGEE.

How did your life change when you found out that the CD had decided to hire you?

As I was taking my Master full-time, this opportunity required a better time management of daily priorities in order to keep the balance between my studies and the challenge of the new job but at the same time my personal life. As I was always involved in many different activities at the same time I found it very exciting.

What are you working on in the CD house and what do you think about the experience so far?

The experience so far has been great and new for me due to the fact that the Board is executive but is also working and living in the same place; I found this a very interesting and intense experience.

Until now I have been doing many different things, such as a research and written framework on Youth Work Competences in Europe, for the running project “Certification of the qualifications of youth workers in NGOs”. Following this work that we will develop on the recognition of the youth worker competences and following the policy processes that are related with it I attended the Policy Debate “Partnerships for lifelong learning: a new idea?”.

On the other hand, I also gave inputs and contributions for learning programmes/processes that AEGEE is developing.

Regarding the Eastern Partnership Project, I participated in the conference “Youth Mobility – the key to democratic reforms in the Eastern Partnership Countries”, co-organized by AEGEE-Europe.

Currently I am giving support to the CD in the organisation of the YO Fest! and the conferences for June.

Next step will be re-designing a strategy for the recognition of non-formal education within AEGEE members.

It sure sounds like Madalena has a lot to do in Brussels and this is most certainly not the last time you will hear from her in The AEGEEan.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Domenico Villano joined AEGEE-Napoli on the 12th of April and only two days later he attended his first European event: the EAP Conference in Brno.

Nicola Guida from AEGEE-Napoli took the chance to interview Domenico about his first event and how it was.

Nicola: Domenico, most AEGEE members start their experience in the Network with a Summer University that is usually considered a less intensive event than thematic ones, what do you think about this? Was the conference you attended in Brno a good start in your opinion?

As you say I’m quite a new member so I actually don’t know what does it mean to attend a Summer University. However this experience was stunning: I had a great time with participants, coming also from other YNGOs. Organizers were really lovely and I felt like home. The conference wasn’t boring at all, instead was a great occasion to discuss and share opinions with people, each of them with a different and interesting background.

According to your words it seems you really enjoyed the event, but we are curious to know what did you expect from it and why you decided to join only some days before its start.

Actually it was the right occasion at the right time: firstly I study Russian language and I’m really interested in the democratic processes in ex-USSR countries so I thought it was a really good chance to deepen my knowledge about these topics by discussing them directly with citizens of those places.

Then, even though I had only one day to find a cheap way to get to Brno, the low fee and the travel reimbursement made the trip really affordable.

Last but not least I had some free days and I wanted to spend them fruitfully and after coming back I’m happy to say it was really worth it!

So, let’s get a deeper look inside the conference: what did you discuss about? Which were in your opinion the most interesting and stimulating topics?

The conference focused on international relations between the Foreign Office of the EU and the partner members of EaP (Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). We had round table discussions about the political, social and economical situation of those countries and how EU supports the development of Human Rights, fair competition market and the establishment of a visa-free area. It was not a typical frontal lecture, but a non-formal creative discussion (key element of Youth In Action projects) during which every participant had the chance to have their say, sharing their knowledge and heat the debate up.

In my opinion the best part of the conference was the simulation of the process of creating, developing and filling the application for a Youth in Action EaP project. We did it really seriously and who knows, maybe some of those ideas will become reality one day!

Ok, I think you made us understand really well that the thematic part of the event was great, now let’s talk about location and social programme: what are your impressions of Czech Republic and in particular of Brno? Was it your first time there?

Actually I’ve already been in Prague with some friends two years ago and I really enjoyed it, but I’ve been really happy to come to this country again and get the chance to see Moravia and its biggest city, Brno, in the heart of Europe. We had a great time drinking the best beer in the world and tasting particular food, so different from the Italian cuisine I am so used to. There was especially a fantastic atmosphere one night that we spent in the garden of the Spilberk castle!!

What about parties then and above all, how was your first European night?

Unfortunately it’s a bit difficult to recall that night but I really suggest you to try Moldavian wine and Georgian cognac (even if the most famous one is the Armenian).

Howewer we had parties in beatiful clubs every night, dancing till 4 am with my Georgian friends.

The greatest experience was to dance in underwear in a swimming pool inside a club with my crazy Spaniards!

 Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sure! I’d like to thank my dear friend and current secretary of AEGEE-Napoli Nicola Guida who made me know about AEGEE and pushed me to apply for this wonderful event! I want also to thank all the organisers, trainers (Armenak in particular) and all the beatiful people I met in Brno and I really hope to see again! გამარჯობა!

Written by Nicola Guida, AEGEE-Napoli

Recently we published the article giving you an insight into the story behind 2^nd place winner of the Events Committee’s (EvC) Facebook competition. Now it is time to reveal the winner which includes not only AEGEE-Oviedo but also AEGEE-Yerevan and the Eastern Partnership Project Team.

The winning photo

The Peace Building in Europe took place in Gijón last year, and the EvC’s competition has granted us the opportunity to get to know more about the event, how it came about, and the significance of exchanges among AEGEE antennae. Several of the participants of the event took their time to contribute to an interesting interview which you can read below.

Congratulations on winning the competition, why did you take part in it?

Tereza Tokmajyan (AEGEE-Yerevan) Thanks! It all begins with checking the dozens of AEGEE-emails in my inbox. I know every AEGEEan feel this every day and every week.  And while I was reading the info about what we need for participating in this great competition, the photo of our crazy event came out. I just wanted everyone to know all the amazing people who have organised this project.

What does it make you feel that you managed to win?

Gerardo García Díaz (AEGEE-Oviedo): I’m really happy and also proud because we managed to win, and because we won just for “being ourselves”.

Panagiotis Barlampas (AEGEE-Athina): Friends from the Network  helped us spread the joy

Tereza: And it was like: HELL YES we did it.

Take us back to the event, who came up with the idea to organize a YiA project between AEGEE-Yerevan and AEGEE-Oviedo?

Tereza: As far as I know, it was not directly the idea of AEGEE-Yerevan or AEGEE-Oviedo. The project was proposed by the AEGEE Eastern Partnership Project Team (EaP) back in summer 2011. Armenak Minasyants, who at that time was member of that team, developed and reshaped the project with the AEGEE EaP Team. Later on AEGEE-Oviedo was approached and to be honest, for the first application in 2011 the guys failed and the project got the rejection and lots of people thought that it was the big ned of a cooperation that had not even really started yet. It was a big disappointment. Amazingly, Armenak,  AEGEE-Yerevan’s ex-president, and Alberto Cuesta Noriega, from AEGEE-Oviedo, with the big support of AEGEE EaP Project Manager Alla Resheten, found totally new motivation and inspiring hope for rechecking the whole application, making plenty new amendments to it, developing a new agenda and concept and of course applying for the EU Youth in Action funding. It took from the both of lots of hard work, patience and dedication but in the end of the day the result you may already see on your own.

When asked why the choice of AEGEE-Yerevan and AEGEE-Oviedo for the project Tereza said with a smile “Maybe we are the marvelous, absolutely fabulous antennae in AEGEE Network?” and continued “But if we talk more seriously, the partnership was firstly based on the big personal trust of our above mentioned main organisers. Additionally it should be mentioned that the participants were not only from AEGEE-Oviedo or AEGEE-Yerevan. The organisers have involved as the partner promoters AEGEE-Athina, AEGEE-Tbilisi, AEGEE-Kyiv, AEGEE-Budapest, and Moldavian National Youth Council. In the end we got totally crazy and motivated participants plus awesome trainers’ team”.

What did you do in Oviedo?

Gerardo: Actually the event took place in Gijón. Oviedo is the Capital of the Principality of Asturias and the University of Asturias is the University of Oviedo. But the largest city on the region and the biggest campus of this University in is Gijón.

Armenak Minasyants (AEGEE-Yerevan): It was a great selection of the location: Atlantic Ocean on your one side, beautiful Asturian forests and nature on the other side… What could be better place for making such a project?

Christos Gkagkas (AEGEE-Patra): We had trainings on conflicts and different stereotypes, we learn how to recognize them and work on them in order to be able and overcome them. I think we manage to see that each culture is important and respectful.

Tereza: Adding to that in spite of this was a YIA project and we had non-AEGEE members we did not forget to show them all what AEGEE Spirit is.

Panagiotis: Which is why in the end, we left everyone speechless by our awesomeness.

What did you like about the event?

Panagiotis: In seven days we made friends from six different countries and learned about their culture, conflicts (internal, external), and language!

Christos: I liked most the conversations we had after the trainings, in which we found out that each culture is sharing something with other cultures and some of them are strongly connected.

Tereza: We had super great trainers. Every session was interesting and unique itself, even the ice-breaking games were amazing.

Gerardo: It was an awesome group of awesome people, and we had a really good time together.

Gerardo from Oviedo

In AEGEE we focus a lot on cultural exchanges and this was indeed one of those. Would you encourage others to take part/organise exchanges?

Tereza: As a person who has directly participated to such type of the project, I would not only encourage but, as the Vice-President and HR of my local, even officially suggest on the behalf of AEGEE-Yerevan to organise such exchanges as much as possible! Through such exchanges we are getting a quite unique chance not only to get familiar with other people’s culture, but also to represent ours.

Gerardo: There’s no better way to get to know other cultures and ways of thinking than actually living with people from other places and getting immersed in their stuff. Even that this event was short in time, lessons learnt will last forever.

Christos: I will give you one example. Before the event in Gijon I did not know where Armenia was but I fell in love with my Armenian friends and after this event I wanted to learn more about their ways of living so I applied and went to another YiA in Yerevan.

Panagiotis: For sure when you will come home after an event like this you will be a little different, more open minded.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Dear Network, if you do not know his name yet than you have already missed out many extraordinary things that the member of this month has done during his membership in AEGEE.

I will give you some tips: he is the Speaker of the International Politics Working Group (IPWG), former coordinator of the Conflict Resolution pillar of the Eastern Partnership project (EaP), in his AEGEE CV we can find such projects as EU Awareness Action Day, Model European Union, YOUTH UnEmployment Action Day, Rio+20+Yerevan, Summer University “Discover Undiscoverd”, Youth in Action Training Course “Peacebuilding in Europe” and if all that hasn’t give you the answer, well, it’s quite simple – meet Armenak Minasyants, the President of AEGEE-Yerevan.

The AEGEEan: First of all congratulations with your new title! Did you expect the nomination?

Armenak: Thanks a lot ! No, absolutely and it has come really a very pleasant and big surprise for me. You know, lots of people used to tell me that I have deserved this nomination for a long time and should not be surprised with it, but anyway, for me it was really some kind of a high pleasure to find out that my recent activities have been so visible that I have managed to snatch a nomination. It also shows that the things I am doing are important for our Network.

Has your attitude changed towards AEGEE after becoming more involved at the European level?

Yes, with no doubt ! The work at the European level of AEGEE has already given me so many things, starting from a big army of friends all over Europe and finishing up with absolutely exclusive professional skills of online distant work. Yes one may argue that having sometimes long-long Skype meetings in the evenings is not the best option of spending your time, but while working at the European level you may really make a good perception what AEGEE is and of course what potential does it have, cause the European level “life” is absolutely different than the local level. Here you shall put much more efforts and commitment to everything you are making. I may just say, that in case an AEGEE member really wants to be real AEGEE member he/she should try this type of involvement.

How do you cope with being president and all the other tasks? In other words, many people complain that with AEGEE they have no real life, can you relate to that?

I may even say more: with AEGEE the life is becoming even more real! I have a well paid permanent job in state sector, where I used to work and cooperate with others in absolutely other atmosphere than AEGEE, but I have never thought that AEGEE may harm my non-AEGEE activities or I may get overloaded with it. Each of us decides on his/her own whether to get involved in AEGEE and if you are answer is “yes”, you shall put your hard work and dedication to it, take the best from it and never complain, always holding your head high.

What is it like being the Speaker of IPWG and has this changed your perspective on how you see Europe?

International Politics WG is something very special for me. It has totally changed and reshaped not only my views of Europe, but it has given me extra big boost for personal and professional self-development. The Speaker’s position is very responsible one, and especially when you are dealing with international politics, cause it is not a secret that politics are very controversial thing. You shall follow each your word and phrase, you shall be able to take a responsibility to make some difficult and complicated decisions. I shall state that I was extremely lucky to have a possibility to hold this position, as I have worked with two perfect and cool boards, in which everyone was an expert of his/her sphere and we have really managed during last 2 years to bring absolutely new spirit, glory and breath to IPWG, which now is one of the strongest and thematic working groups of AEGEE.
Using this opportunity I would like to make the official statement: my dream fairy tale in IPWG has come to the end – as now there is elections period in WGs, I would like to state that I am not going to apply for the next term as the Speaker of IPWG. It was one of the hardest decisions in my life and I have spent a sleepless night in Gijon, Spain, thinking over it, but my decision is final. I would like to thank everybody with whom I had a chance to work during last two years. Thanks to each member of IPWG who has believed in me and my skills and has supported me and the whole WG in the most difficult situations. I would like to wish the new upcoming board even more success.

EaP, an amazing project, where is it heading next?

I have been a member of the Eastern Partnership project since the first day of its activities. The project has incredible strong and experienced staff plus also some new and maybe not so much experienced, but very motivated members. The issues which the project is tackling are really very urgent for the EU’s Eastern Partnership program Members States, as such issues as bigger involvement in Erasmus Mundus, conflict resolution and visa facilitation are really urgent for the youth of those six states. From the beginning of this year I am not as much active in the project as I used to be previously, but with no doubt this project has the biggest potential now. The last Youth in Action training course on conflict resolution in EaP countries, which I have co-organised with AEGEE-Oviedo within the frames of the EaP activites, clearly showed that this Project Team is capable for some big things. Of course I believe that this project shall try to be more dynamic and make some kind of “easy” projects all over the Network which will be a great boost for further development.

Tell us some of AEGEE-Yerevan’s latest achievements and a sneak preview on something that you are planning.

(Laughing) Really, they are so many that it is too hard for me to mention all of them. Anyway, this year we have already managed to organise six big local projects in which have participated more than 700 participants from all over Armenia. We always look for the projects which are important for Armenian youth. The fields might be very different, starting from the very deep discussions with experts on the EU enlargement and integration, and finishing up with non-formal workshops on youth unemployment and sustainable development. This year we also managed to make an extra cool Summer University with 20 participants (last year we had just 12) but the most important we managed to finalize our internal team building. As the most recent achievement I may mention participation of six our members in YiA Project organised by AEGEE-Oviedo, where we were presented with two trainers. All in all the most important achievement for me is the very unique team spirit, as in AEGEE-Yerevan we are working and living as a real family! We have about 90 members and most of them know each other and make good friendship even out of AEGEE. As in all families sometimes we have discussions, disputes, but in the end usually everybody is happy and pleased with everything. As a short preview for upcoming projects, in October we will have two big exchanges directly coming one after the other. Firstly, on October 5-12 we would host about 30 members of les Anciens who will come to participate in the special Autumn University which we are organising for them. And right after this project, on October 13-20 we would host 15 members from AEGEE-Athina within the frames of joint YiA project which will be dedicated to cultural diversity and sport activities. And the last, but not the least, on November 10 we are making the biggest simulation conference in the South Caucasus  “Armenia Model EU 2012” which will gather together 130 participants from all over the world. The project is supported by the EU Delegation to Armenia and I kindly invite AEGEE members to come to Yerevan and participate in this project.
Of course, if after all this we would survive and stay alive, we would think about more actions in the end of the year!

How is it going your typical day?

Well, wake up at 07:00 AM, morning run about 5 miles, fast coffee or tea at home with sandwich, walk to my workplace for 20 minutes, fast checking of Facebook, Mail, Twitter and etc. before starting the real work at office and then starts the most important – work till lunchtime and after it again work! In the evening I am usually meeting my AEGEE-Yerevan colleagues and friends and after it getting home at 22:00 PM. After this I am starting to work for AEGEE till the time when somebody of my family finds me sleeping near the laptop, usually it is about 03:00-04:00 AM.
Maybe it is too hard from the first sight, but I am living with this regime already for two years and it is absolutely fine for me.

Future plans regarding your AEGEEan life and outside it?

Well, my plans inside AEGEE are very enthusiastic as always. For now I may just say that I have decided to commit the next year mostly to the work at the European level of AEGEE as I am really proud to say that now at the local level we already have developed super cool members who will surely drive AEGEE-Yerevan in the right direction. Anyway, I never exclude anything in my life and who knows what may happen in the end of my term. As for future plans at the local level I am really very enthusiastic on bringing some new quality projects to AEGEE-Yerevan. At the European level, as I have already mentioned above I am resigning from my position of the Speaker of IPWG. My this decision is based on a very important update about which you will hear very soon.
But my most important future plan in AEGEE is of course to bring one of the statutory events to Yerevan and I am very optimistic to make my best for making this idea real!
In my life outside AEGEE I hope that I would have some more free time to dedicate it to my private life, particularly to my family firstly and of course to the girl whom I love. Also I hope to make some kind of non-European travelling tour, maybe to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, but this are just dreams now.

Imagine someone comes up to you and has no idea what our organisation is all about. How would you explain it to them and get them to join?

In AEGEE-Yerevan, we have one great Board member Ani, whom we call “Local”, as she is the Head of our Antenna Local Activities Committee. When we were just making our steps back in 2010 and we were about 10 members she always used to approach unknown youngsters in the streets with a great smile and ask them in this way “Would you like to join AEGEE?”. And this mechanism really works out and we got plenty of new members! So, I would just make a good American smile and will use the mentioned phrase, even without trying to explain what is AEGEE.

Last question, if AEGEE was a paid job would you still do it? Or is it more fun because we are volunteering?

My answer would be clear: yes! I really will to work for AEGEE no matter of the conditions of my work. I have a life motto “Money never sleep” and if it is possible to get some extra finances, why not to get it? Anyway, now I am really pleased that AEGEE is not paid job and we have lots of romantic things in our everyday activities. Usual hunt for some free events, cheap air flights and free hosting: I really could not imagine my AEGEE life without these !

Written by Andra Toma,  AEGEE-Bucuresti

Attention: If you think you know someone, who deserves to be honored as “Member of the Month”, send an email with the person’s name and the reason for nominating him or her to aegeean@aegee.org.

AEGEE- Utrecht has its very own local event committee: MestadCie (which translates to something like ‘my own little city’), which regularly organises local events that are not only fun, but also often have a deeper meaning behind them.

Maartje Natrop, President of the Mestadcie: “In this way, we keep members of our antenna entertained but also inform them about recent matters in Europe. We also pay attention to important themes of AEGEE-Europe, like social inclusion. Last week, we had a Visual Handicapped Night where we had blind food tastings and young, visually impaired speakers.”

In April the MestadCie organised a Smugglers game: an outdoor game that informed members about the work of the Visa Freedom Working Group (VFWG) in a fun way. On a warm spring evening, some members of AEGEE-Utrecht gathered in a big park in Utrecht and played a game that goes as follows: there is one ‘king’ who sits on his ‘throne’ – or in this case: spot in the grass – waiting for his subjects to bring him as much money as possible. These subjects have to pick up the money at check-points where the ‘writers’ are writing euro bills for them and deliver them to the king without getting caught. In the meanwhile, ‘customer service employees,’ or ‘boarder guardians’ if you will, have to try to stop them from getting to the king. If you get caught by a boarder guardian, you loose all your money.

The fun part of the game was of course running around in the park and feeling the excitement and the tension: ‘can we safely cross the boarder without being caught?’ Major doses of adrenaline, heart pumping and red cheeks where the physical product of this game.
In the end, all participants received flyers with information about the work of the VFWG and their contact information. The lesson that was remembered by all: it is not so easy to cross boarders for everybody, especially for people from Eastern European AEGEE locals.
In short, a night to remember: a lot of fun with a serious conclusion, typically AEGEE!

Written by Maartje Natrop, AEGEE-Utrecht

Remark by The AEGEEan: This article is republished in The AEGEEan with approval of the Eastern Partnership Project. 

What is typically good about a cool AEGEE event? Nice international people from various places of Europe, perfect winter weather, snowy slopes for skiing and snowing, cozy cottage in the middle of white mountains and AEGEE atmosphere! Apart from crazy parties, funny ice-breaking games,  and never-ending activities there is something that makes all AEGEE events unique – thematic lectures. Besides traditional AEGEE introduction, a workshop on the Eastern Partnership Project (EaP) was given to the participants of the SkiWeek event, organised by the team of AEGEE-Plzen. Despite the fact that the topic was not very clear and close to the participants from the EU member states, it did not leave them indifferent and laid the beginning for discussions. What was the impression of the discussions that followed the presentation? Nicholas Lagodigarda, Petr Slunčík and Daryna Skryl share their point of view:

Nicholas Lagodigarda, AEGEE-Turku, participant

The presentation was very interesting and informative, especially as I am personally interested in the issue of EU expansion and cooperation with non-EU states. I did not know about this project before, and I think the discussion that followed also helped to clarify point of views related to some delicate questions such as visas, mobility, equal opportunities, and EU-expansion. Contrasting opinions emerged and I think there was something to learn for everybody.

Petr Slunčík, AEGEE-Plzen, organiser

The workshop about the EaP project was extremely useful. Even though that I have been a member of AEGEE for more than five years it is still very useful and nice to hear other members views in the same organisation.

To tell the truth I did not know much about the Eastern Partnership project  and I was really amazed how distinguished and important the ideas of this project are  (such as non-visa traveling, open dialog between students in neighbours countries, etc.). And what is more? After Daryna’s catchy lecture the two-hour long discussion started among participants! I am so proud to be a part of this lecture!

Daryna Skryl, AEGEE-Dnipropetrovsk, EaP Project PR Manager

I was impressed by the participants’ attention to the topic of our project. After almost two hours of lectures we continued the discussion. I believe the reason why we had such a great feedback is that students and young people in the European Union partially face the same difficulties as their mates in the Eastern Partnership countries, that is why participants could easily get into the problematics and give very similar examples from their own experience. Girls from Serbia replied about implementing Erasmus in Balkan countries, we heard the stories about visa problems in case of travel to some Caucasus countries for EU-citizens and other mobility issues. So I guess we have raised the interest among the participants and hope to see it growing in the close future.

Written by Daryna Skryl, AEGEE-Dnipropetrovsk & EaP Project PR Manager