The Member of the Month of April is…Lavinia Manea from AEGEE-București! “Volunteerism is not just a word” according to Lavinia, and she proved that by being an active member, not only on the local level, but also on the European one and having key roles in the WDEE (Where Does Europe End) and Y Vote projects and working as Content Manager for the EBM Lublin.

The AEGEEan: Lavinia, you have been elected as the member of the month. Congratulations! Could you introduce yourself for those who don’t know you yet?
Lavinia:  I’m Lavinia Manea from AEGEE-București, and along the years I have been involved in different projects, mostly on European level: I worked three (wonderful) years for the Where Does Europe End (WDEE) project as External Relations responsible and trainer, I worked for EBM Lublin as Content Manager and currently I am finishing my tasks for the Y Vote project, for which I worked as part of the content team, as EU affairs “expert” and trainer.

The AEGEEan: When did you join AEGEE and, in particular, why?
Lavinia: I joined when I was 19, during my first university year, but in fact I found out about AEGEE while I was in high school. I was preparing to take the university admission exams when I discovered AEGEE. I liked the idea and I promised to myself that once a student in Bucharest, I would join this association. And so I did. At the beginning, what drove me towards this choice was mostly the idea of meeting new people and developing new skills. I was moving to Bucharest from the “province” and I was eager to expand my horizon outside the university environment as well. Little did I know how important AEGEE would become in my life.

The AEGEEan: You have done a great job as a trainer for the Y Vote. Why did you choose to be part of such an important project?
Lavinia: Well, this is an interesting story. When I graduated from my second master degree, I thought I would never become involved again in an important project, due to the lack of time that a job would have implied. Having graduated from what many consider to be a prestigious graduate institute, the logical “next step” would have been a job in Brussels or elsewhere, in a field related to international relations and/or diplomacy. But I like to do things differently and I’m not afraid to go “right”, when everyone else goes “left”, if this is the right thing for me. So when I considered my options, I realised that what I love most is working with people to promote values I believe in. I am a striver for a better world, and that always begins with us. So I did something that many considered insane: I put my career plans on hold for something less prestigious but richer in essence: travelling across Europe as a volunteer and inspiring young people to become a driving force for change in our society. I was often asked what did I do after graduating from the College of Europe, followed by how much (money) did I make. But as you know, in AEGEE we don’t make money, we make “people” and that is much more valuable in the long term. Human resources are our planet’a greatest asset if well-managed. We can either make or break everything.

Of course, none of this would have happened if I hadn’t believed in this project: in its necessity, its potential and in the people behind it. No achievement was ever the result of a one-man show. So knowing well my cause and believing in the people I worked with was essential. I cannot thank the Y Vote team members (including the Comite Directeur and the local organisers) enough for all their effort and enthusiasm.

The AEGEEan: Is there an AEGEE member in particular who has inspired you in your work? Why?
Lavinia: The are many people who inspired me and continue to do so. But if I should point to one person in particular, then I would mention Veronika Braun, former member of AEGEE Passau, and Y Vote 2009 PR Responsible. The reason I mentioned her has to do with timing more than anything else. I met her while I was attending my first Youth in Action event, in Rome and it happened to be a Y Vote convention. Her energy, her ambitions and the results of her work, triggered in me a strong wish to becomes active at European level. From that point on, I met many other inspiring people but that particular event was the beginning of everything for me. It would be unfair though, not to mention -if only briefly- my former WDEE team members Percin Imrek (AEGEE-Çanakkale), Thomas Leszke (AEGEE-Köln), Kasia Bitka (AEGEE-Kraków), Casper Wolf (AEGEE-Utrecht) and Juan Sordo (AEGEE-Oviedo) and of course, my (soon also former) Y Vote team members Ola Kluczka (AEGEE-Kraków), Léa Charlet (AEGEE-Paris) and Javier Mendoza (AEGEE-Tenerife). All these people taught me something valuable and I am grateful to them for that.

The AEGEEan: Are you currently working on any projects or initiatives belonging to AEGEE?
Lavinia: Yes I am, although they are mostly related to tying loose ends. I am finishing my last tasks related to the Y Vote project, working on the Position Paper resulted from the EBM and waiting for the results of an Erasmus+ application for the Europe in Exchange project. Should that be successful, I will work on organising a youth convention in Poznań, together with the other team members: Jorge Miguel (AEGEE-Valladolid), Cerem Çavdar (AEGEE-Ankara) and Sanja Zivanović (AEGEE-Zagreb).

The AEGEEan: What about your next plans both on the European and on the local level?
Lavinia: For the moment, apart from finishing my ongoing tasks, I do not have specific plans. I like to believe that when nothing is sure, everything is possible, therefore I keep my options open. If I believe I can bring added value to a certain initiative, I take the challenge. However, realistically speaking, the Y Vote project was the last important initiative I got involved in to this extent. Whatever may follow should be compatible with my working life as well. I am saying this because out of the past six months, three I spent travelling with AEGEE, working sometimes 18 hours a day together with my team mates. I am not complaining, of course. Nothing is better that working until exhaustion for what makes you happy. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity but it is time to step aside and let other young people take over. AEGEE represents a great opportunity for self-development and I hope as many people as possible take advantage of it. But while I have no certainties as to my future in AEGEE, one thing I can guarantee is that I will always support AEGEE as much as I can, throughout my career. Because AEGEE needs not only committed members but also committed alumni. And I hope that when they leave AEGEE, most of our prominent members remember that volunteerism is not something we do only when we are young and inexperienced. Volunteerism is something we all need to do once in a while, no matter how “busy” we become. Doing good things for reasons other than money or personal benefit is, in my opinion, the only way we can truly pretend to be creating a better Europe and a better world.

Written by Larisa Smajlagic, AEGEE-Verona 

Jakub Oleksy has been in AEGEE for many years and, he started his AEGEE journey with Network Meeting Lublin and has recently organized EBM Lublin, and he still continues being motivated. This is why he wants to join Juridical Commission (JC). It is something he has wanted to do for years, so his candidature for JC, which he will present at Spring Agora Patra, can bring him one step closer to fulfilling his dream.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What do you do you for a living? How old are you? Where are you from?

Jakub: I am Kuba, I am 23 years old and I have been a member of AEGEE–Lublin since October 6th 2010. I am at my fourth year of Law, which is my passion. Since I was seven I knew what I wanted to become in the future. I study in Lublin and come from Silesia, the area close to Katowice. Law and motorization (mainly Formula One) are my two passions. I also love travelling and my greatest dream is to visit Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. While being there, I would love to watch the F1 race in Abu Dhabi.

The AEGEEan:  How did you learn about AEGEE?

Jakub: Since 2010 I have had many occasions and possibilities to learn what AEGEE is. I could enumerate many of them but I mainly learned from other members of AEGEE who had belonged to the organization for a longer time. The first person I learned a lot from was the coordinator of the Network Meeting in Lublin – Olga Targońska. For three years I have participated in many projects and events and I met a lot of very positive people. Thank to them I am in AEGEE now and I applied for the Juridical Commission (JC) member.

One more opportunity for me to learn about AEGEE was the Key to Europe, Members Manual and of course Corpus Iuridicum Aegeeanse (CiA). I gained a lot of information about the organization while being an organizer of various projects and participating in different working groups. Here, I learned more about how the organization works, teambuilding, gaining funds and many other aspects.

The AEGEEan: You have organized many different events, recently the EBM in Lublin, and have been part of Agora Zaragoza. How does this prepare you for the Juridical Commission?

Jakub: Organizing various projects is very useful for a JC member. Maybe it is not very obvious at first sight, but the JC is a commission which members should be responsible, keep up with the deadlines, correctly analyze current and future situations, have well-developed skills of time and self-management and be stress-resistant. It is impossible to learn those skills while only being a student and not being an active member of any organization or any social life unit. Being part of several projects within the organization is very helpful for developing those abilities.

The AEGEEan: Usually many see it as an advantage to know French when being part of the JC. Do you consider it an obstacle that you do not have a high level of French yet?

 Jakub: English and French are the official languages of the European Students’ Forum, however the English language is used during official meetings, for presentations and motions. Of course, a good knowledge of French would be a considerable advantage, however a basic knowledge and learning more seems to be a good choice as well. It proves your willingness to develop and gain new skills every day. The JC should cooperate with the Comité Directeur and other commissions, and also with the Language Working Group (LWG) who have many active members.

The AEGEEan: Will you ensure that you can go to the statutory events in case you are elected for the JC?

Jakub: If I become an official member of the JC, I can guarantee my participation in statutory events. For me it’s obvious that being a  JC member requires responsibility, high motivation and confidence for one’s right decisions. The JC is one of the most responsible commissions, if not the most important (without diminishing the value of other commissions). I would like to emphasize the fact that its members are obliged to participate in the organization’s statutory events, as they supervise the running of the meetings and all the procedures, and they monitor if the provisions of the European and country’s laws are respected, together with the internal legal laws, such as Corpus Iuridicum Aegeeanse.

The AEGEEan: You have been in AEGEE for many years, what keeps you motivated?

Jakub: Since 2010, when I joined AEGEE, I have not had any decrease of my level of motivation. My first project was Network Meeting in Lublin and thanks to this event I applied for the position of JC member – the commission on the European level. Being a board member of AEGEE-Lublin, taking part in many projects, events such as Network Meetings and Agorae, and coordinating the EBM Lublin are the best examples of my high motivation for so many years. After the EBM Lublin I have even more motivation, especially for being active on the European level. Would I apply for the JC member if I was not motivated enough?

The AEGEEan: What difference do you believe it makes that you have not been a JC subcommissioner?

Jakub: In 2011 I applied for the position of JC subcommissioner. At that time, according to the JC, I was not an appropriate candidate. However, now, in 2014, after over three years of my active participation in the organization, it is the right time to go for a higher level and that is why I applied for the position of JC member. Not having been chosen for the JC subcommissioner does not seem to me as an obstacle to become a JC member. I talked to experienced members on the European level connected to the JC, I watched the work of the JC during the Agora, as well as my knowledge of CIA – that all made me decide to apply for the position of JC member.

The AEGEEan: You have many things that are part of your program for the JC and are very ambitious, how will you ensure that you can realize all of it?

Jakub: In my opinion, the points in my program are feasible and possible to be put in practice. I think they are ambitious. Also important are my good will, motivation and good argumentation, so that each point from my program can be realized. I do not want to cover every point here as the answer would take a long time – even the whole interview. But a short example: 1) proposals for amendments to CIA in different languages – a simple solution – a cooperation with LWG and the translation of the proposals – that would be an easy thing to do (the JC – legal knowledge, LWG – linguistic knowledge). Yet another example – the actualization of CIA in one month. In this case it is enough to take a look at the voting results, final decisions or particular proposals to be approved and then putting them into practice in CIA.

The AEGEEan: What do you find most important of your program?

Jakub: The crucial points of my program are to verify that antennae’s statutes are consistent and agree with the CIA (Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense), a diligent observation of the legal documents of generally and internally applicable provision, legal support of AEGEE in contact with other non-governmental organizations and institutions and creating a working format for the Juridical Commission.

The AEGEEan: How would you like to bring the JC closer to the Network?

Jakub: This is a very good question. I observed that the JC is a commission of a vital importance to AEGEE and, therefore, it should be more appreciated and make its works more visible to the organization members. That is why my program also covers points like a bigger activeness on Facebook, promoting the law and the commission, the Juridical Commission European School and a CIA for dummies (maybe some feel discouraged and do not understand everything, especially legal aspects). My other proposal is to organize online meetings with the purpose to explain different aspects of CIA, legal situations and different interesting legal aspects.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza

As the EBM Lublin 2014 is getting closer, more details are coming out about the workshops and different topics that will be tackled. The AEGEEan has interviewed the two Content Managers from the EBM, Lavinia Manea (AEGEE-Bucuresti) and Marije Arentze (AEGEE-Leiden) about their plans and expectations for this event.

Lavinia and Marije have been working hand in hand for a little less than two months in order to bring their expertise in the field of nationalism to this event. They have been planning the topics for the panel discussions, assisting the Comité Directeur with the selection of speakers and workshop proposals, and creating a survey about AEGEE members’ perception of nationalism.

The AEGEEan: Marije, Lavinia, what made you so interested in applying as Content Managers of this EBM?

Marije Arentze

Marije Arentze: I was looking for a new challenge in AEGEE. I have wanted to become active in the thematic field of AEGEE for a long time and I was instantly enthusiastic when I read about Thomas Leszke’s (AEGEE-Köln) topic proposal, as I am dealing a lot with nationalism in my studies. But where in university the approach is mostly  theoretical and the focus lies more on philosophy and intellectual history of nationalism, I am always looking for a practical angle. Being Content Manager surely gives me some practical work!

Lavinia Manea:  Talking about the position of Content Manager in general, now that I have the time, I looked at my previous contribution in AEGEE and felt I could bring it to another level. As a recent Master (MA) graduate with relevant work experience, I wanted to use my knowledge and skills for a cause in which I believe. I was happy to see that the EBM has become (more) thematic and I wanted to be a part of that change. In addition, I have a special interest in the topic of nationalism and a passion for content creation. Quite obviously, this was an opportunity which I couldn’t have missed.

Which is your background in the field of nationalism, and how do you think you can complement each other?

Marije: I just started studyin European Studies and I just finished a course on national thought, which dealt with the intellectual history of nationalism, the emergence of nation-states, its different manifestations all over Europe and its related ideologies such as fascism and racism. It taught me that present-day manifestations of nationalism are the result of a cultural process that has been going on for centuries, and that the line between practicing nationalism and just expressing your national identity is very vague and thin.

Lavinia: I hold two MA degrees, both in International Relations, one with a minor in European Integration and the other in Diplomacy. As you can imagine, the issue of nationalism sprung in different forms during these years and thanks to my academic background, I am able to look at it from different points of view: historical, ethical, pragmatic etc. Apart from that, during the final conference of the Where Does Europe End (WDEE) project, I designed and  facilitated sessions on the topic of nationalism throughout the duration of the event.

Why do you think there is such a strong interest in nationalism in AEGEE?

Lavinia Manea

Lavinia: I believe this is owed to the high extent to which AEGEEans can relate to this issue. This is not a reality of “some” but a reality of all of us. We live in a world of nations but we are experiencing  both forces pushing for a “regionalization” as for a “supranationalization” of Europe. Both of these question the relevance of the nation-state and trigger nationalist reactions on different levels. While this seems to be a very political subject, it is far more than that, given that we live and feel the consequences of these dynamics in our daily life. I believe many of us perceive these times as a crossroad, when decisions need to be made in one direction or the other and this was an additional factor which placed this topic on top of others.

Marije: In addition, nationalism is a big deal about personal identity. It’s about knowing who you are and where you belong, which becomes increasingly important for young people in a globalizing environment. The line between expressing national identity and practicing nationalism is very thin and full of shades of grey. In Lublin, with the topic on the agenda and 300+ students from all over Europe in one place, we are in the ideal environment to recognize and become familiar with all these nuances and subtleties.

The applicants of the EBM were asked about their visions of nationalism. Have you found that they have a similar concept on what nationalism is?

Marije: No, not at all. We had as many different answers as there were applicants, varying from “a sense of belonging” to “the attachment to national symbols” to “a dangerous kind of egoism”. And that is exactly what we expected, in fact it is why we asked the question. The word nationalism has a different meaning to every individual. It is a concept that is hard to define. We don’t have the illusion that as AEGEEans will reach an agreement on this, let alone during the EBM, but we wanted to inventory how AEGEEans perceive the concept.

Lavinia: Indeed. A small off-topic addition which I find important is that those questions not only for us to understand people’s vision on nationalism but also to be able to share these visions with them during the EBM. We believe that it is important to know not only what we discuss, but also with whom. The applications and the survey were a means of understanding better the state of play in AEGEE and we plan to be as transparent as possible as to the results we obtained both from the applications and the survey.

And, according to their views, do they consider it as a good or a bad thing?

Marije: The answers were 50/50, also depending on which definition they gave. Participants who perceive nationalism as “a sense of belonging” of “being proud of your country” usually described it as a positive phenomenon. People who described nationalists as “eurosceptics” or “dangerous egoists” usually described it as a negative phenomenon. None of the answers are wrong of course, but they were no less inspiring!

You have also recently launched a survey about nationalisms, with other concepts such as racism and xenophobia: how are you planning to use the results?

Lavinia: As mentioned previously, the survey as such will be presented to the whole network and will constitute a starting point of debate during the EBM. We hope to offer AEGEEans a broader perspective on the state of play in AEGEE, regarding the topic. We are –of course- aware of the limits of the survey and yet, we believe it will prove to be a very useful barometer for our network.   As for why we included related concepts (racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism etc), I will refer here to a popular saying: “a problem never comes alone”. We believe it is hard to tackle nationalism while excluding related concepts which essentially respond to a similar logic.

Can you tell us any first details about panel discussions in the EBM?

Marije: We will have two Panel Discussions, both tackling nationalism from a very different angle. The first one will be about Exploring the importance of nationalism for individual identity. We will deal with how much nationalism is intertwined with our personal identity. Questions are for example: “What is it that nationalists identify with? What is a nation? How important is national identity for individuals?”

The title of the other panel discussion is Questioning the relevance of nationalism in a changing world. In this Panel Discussion the place of nationalism will be questioned in an era in which we have “forces” asking for decentralization and forces asking for the opposite. Is “the nation” still as relevant as it was before? Will the sense of “belonging to a nation” ever fade away, or will it always be present?

Do you plan to address the topic of nationalisms in specific countries?

Marije: There will be workshops dealing with Ukraine and Belarus (by the Eastern Partnership Project), branding nationalism in America (by the PRC) and Catalonian secessionism (by Núria Fenoll Domingo and Ferran Huidobro Casamitjana from AEGEE-Tarragona). In addition, in a lot of sessions will deal with case-studies from different countries.

Lavinia: We are exploring ways in which we can create a useful learning experience for everyone. We will come with specific examples and in choosing them, we will try to be fair and careful, so that no country will be specifically targeted.

What about separatisms in the EU? In 2014 we will have the referenda in Scotland and Catalunya: do you have any ideas on that?

Marije: As said, we will have an excellent workshop from two members from AEGEE-Tarragona, which will deal with the subtleties around having an independence referendum. They will hold a simulation of the Catalonian referendum and with this they want to show how extremely difficult it is to deal with all the nuances that surround a topic as delicate as secessionism.

How are you planning to make this EBM an interactive and dynamic event?

Lavinia: The EBM will consist of plenary sessions, panel discussions and parallel sessions, all of which will allow for interaction among the participants. We will reduce our thematic input to the minimum possible so that we leave space for debates, while still providing participants with useful information which will enable the least informed ones to take part in the discussions. Furthermore, we will avoid creating “dead” content, as I call it, that is information which doesn’t have an impact on participants. Therefore, we will not include sterile classifications and more generally, information which cannot be further assimilated and used by them. We consider the content to be a set of tools which participants will make use of, and we hope that our approach will turn as many people as possible into active contributors to the EBM.

And which are your desired outcomes from this event?

Lavinia: If we should make a difference between outputs and outcomes, then our desire is for AEGEE members to become more aware of the multifaceted issue of nationalism. We also hope that increased awareness will lead to an increased capacity and desire to counter the negative aspects of nationalism. Paraphrasing an existing idea, the evil exists not only because of “the bad” minority who does harm, but also because of “the good” majority who watches passively and fails to react. In this sense, we all have a responsibility, firstly as humans and secondly as citizens of our countries.

If we should look at the output as well, there will be a follow-up document with information, conclusions and possibly recommendations. We are looking at ways in which we can involve the whole network and not only EBM participants. Following the idea that “scripta manent” we will pay close attention to the creation of outputs, both in terms of their comprehensiveness as their usefulness overall. We certainly do not want this topic to be forgotten once the EBM is over.

Marije: If you expect to learn out of this EBM how nationalistic AEGEE is and how nationalistic you are, you might have chosen the wrong conference to attend. But if you are looking for eye-openers, for a deeper understanding of the society you are a part of and of your behavior towards others, you should definitely be in Lublin!

For the ones who won’t be present at the EBM, remember that you can follow the discussions and the output from the event in the following links:

• EBM Lublin 2014 – Official: Created in cooperation between The AEGEEan, the Public Relations Committee and several other European level bodies.
• Nationalism at EBM Lublin: where the team of Content Managers are sending the latest updates on workshops and will be streaming the live discussions.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

The dates are set. From February 13^th until February 18^th 2014, AEGEE members will gather in Lublin to take part in EBM. An event organised not only by AEGEE-Lublin, but in cooperation with other Polish antennae. The AEGEEan interviewed the main coordinator Jakub Oleksy to get an update on the event.

 The AEGEEan: What have you been doing since the announcement at the Agora Rhein-Neckar that EBM would take place in Lublin ?

Jakub: We have done a lot of things concerning particular logistics, including finding accommodation and meeting places for the workshops, as well as developing promotion and a database of potential partners.

The AEGEEan: What are the next steps in the organisation of the event?

Jakub: The next step is to get further funding for this big project, including the Visegrad grant. We will also deal with the promotion of the project, social program and other organisational matters. Promotion of EBM will not only be through Facebook, but also through our website, YouTube and other media. In Zaragoza we will show up with a strong team, and do promotion there as well.

What is on most people’s minds when talking about organising a statutory event is fundraising (FR). Chema Rueda mentioned how the crisis is making it more difficult to gather funds and EBM coordinator Jakub Oleksy agrees. “Fundraising is a difficult task, but the scale of a project, a steadfastness of purpose, and eligibility make it easier than it would seem at first.”

Photographed by Roel van Engelen

Seeing that this task is so difficult, we decided to ask former Agora organisers to share their experience with gathering funds. Jannes Rupf and Alex Sieber from the organising team of Agora Rhein-Neckar were ready to answer all our questions.

So we asked them what the main obstacles were, when dealing with FR for Agora Rhein-Neckar and how they overcame them.

Jannes: The biggest obstacle was to find the first sponsors. Once we found them, we could use them as a reference and attract other new sponsors. But having none at the beginning was the most difficult bit.

Did it help that you had many antennae helping with the matter?

Jannes: Actually you would expect it to help having a lot of antennae involved in the FR, but as long as there are not any direct contacts to the companies it is quite difficult to do fundraising successfully.

Have you discussed this in the Knowledge Transfer to AEGEE-Zaragoza?

Alex: We had already discussed some issues during Agora Rhein-Neckar. There has also been some communication after the Agora, but I expect that most of KT will take place during the two months before Agora, as this is also the period during which we had a lot of questions to the organisers of Agora Budapest.

Following the interview with Agora Rhein-Neckar organisers it was time to go further back in time and talk with the main organiser of Agora Budapest: Márton Demeter. Márton gave us more details on the same topic but also how organising such a big event has affected AEGEE-Budapest as an antenna.  

Márton: FR does not only mean that there is a huge, rich and nice company that you just have to call and then they give you a pile of Euros. It is a bit more complicated: you can get cash, you can get products (FR ‘in kind’), you can get services, discounts, private donations and checks paid by someone else. We had all of these and thank God it was enough. It sounds easy, but it is not. Definitely not.

In the meantime the crisis is going on and the companies do not have enough money even for their own needs, so it was a really tough job. Usually if you have a list of 100 companies, you try to contact them, and 10 out of 100 will tell you that they might be interested. Usually 1 of these 10 will give you something. It is really demotivating that you get a lot of negative answers, but once you got a supportive one, that really rocks!

What really helped us was that we organized calling days, meaning the Agora team gathered in the office and called every single company we got in our contact database. Plus we recruited a lot of helpers for FR, not only experienced AEGEEans but also very fresh members! Any time we had any success in FR we posted it on Facebook so our members saw that we are doing something with tangible results and the very hard work of FR team members was also appreciated!

What did the Agora mean to your local financially?

Our budget was around €55.000. Around 50% was covered by the participation fee and the rest was covered by other sources.
In our partnership list we had non-governmental organisations, governmental organisations, universities, EU institutions, embassies, small local companies, state companies and also huge multinational corporations. Plus, it was very nice that we had private donations as well. The Agora team got a very decent amount of seed money from the board in order to start to organize the Agora and at the end we closed our budget with positive balance, which can be an indicator of success.

We hope the same will happen for AEGEE-Zaragoza and AEGEE-Lublin.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Koebenhavn