AEGEE-Warszawa and the European Citizenship Working Group have great things in store for this spring. With Citizenship at its Grassroots-European and Polish Perspectives, they want to explore the current situation of democracy and the rule of law in Europe and Poland during a three-days event in March. We reached out to Patrycja Figarska, from AEGEE-Warszawa, and Álvaro González Pérez and Jasmin Kaiser from the European Citizenship Working Group to ask them about this upcoming event!

The AEGEEan: Congratulations on your event. How did you come up with the idea to organise it?

Patrycja: Back in September in Catania, the ECWG and AEGEE-Warszawa shared a similar idea of organising together a conference that will bring Europe closer to its citizens and tackle topics that are current and important for youth. The state of democracy, rule of law, and the approach to European values is something that is being challenged and questioned recently in Poland and other countries. Therefore, we have decided to raise awareness on these issues and invite you to take part in the discussion about the state of democracy and rule of law.

What is the current situation in Poland and why do you think holding this event there is important?

Patrycja: More than 25 years after the fall of communism, once an example for others after its successful fight for freedom and democracy, Poland is now a cause of international worry. Over a period of two years new laws and regulations regarding the justice system have been adopted, and this lead to crowds of demonstrators taking the streets of Poland to protest against the reform, the European Commission triggering Article 7 against Poland, the Polish government not accepting the EU concerns regarding the rule of law, thus rising tensions between Poland and the EU.

Developments in Poland show that the democratisation process never finishes and it is important to understand its development and take an action when necessary. Considering the past and present situation of democracy in Poland we believe Warsaw is a perfect place to discuss its state in Europe.

In your opinion, what should be the role of the rule of law in Europe and how can we AEGEEans contribute to it?

Álvaro: The rule of law should be the same everywhere, be it Europe, Japan, Brasil, or Libya: the principle by which every individual or entity is accountable to a certain and popularly accepted set of rules in a fair and equal way.

As AEGEEans we all agree (or we hope we do) that this is a fundamental principle that should be respected everywhere. Now, the way in which we can contribute to it is essentially tricky: we can and should lobby for it as much as our tools and means allow us, for example by organising a conference on the topic. However, when it comes to specific examples of deficit of rule of law, especially in countries where AEGEE is present, unfortunately we cannot be so open, simply because there’s a risk on it that involves AEGEE as a whole, and particularly the AEGEEans from that country.

Jasmin: As the rule of law cannot be taken for granted in any European country, it is each citizen’s duty to fight for it – constantly. Young people, especially AEGEEans, should act as role models and actively make use of democratic tools such as public discussions or direct contact with political representatives. It’s easy to ignore us, if the youth does not raise its voices.

Can you give us some sneak peeks of the programme?

Jasmin: The programme is going to be as diverse as the event description promises by bringing European and Polish perspectives together. There are various different session formats, ranging from informative input lessons to panel discussion and interactive workshops. In times of fake news we will profit from the expertise of high level speakers who will try to set an equal basis of knowledge for each and everyone. Coming from different backgrounds, such as European and Polish academia, politics or civil society, guest speakers will represent contrasting positions and open the discussion with participants in a fruitful and balanced atmosphere. In general, the programme is tailored to active Polish and non-Polish participants who want to be heard. Ideally the opinions and outcomes of the conference will be published on national and European media and used to confront decision makers. Friday to Sunday will grant a tight schedule which requires an attentive brain, thus participants are invited to take the opportunity to discover the city and relax with AEGEE-Warszawa on Thursday.

Who would be the ideal participant and how can they apply?

Álvaro: The first aspect we had in mind when thinking of the participants was the mixture of both international and Polish participants, mainly because of the fundamentally different perspectives that one has depending on one living in or out of Poland.

The second aspect we all agreed on was the fact that we want both AEGEEans and non-AEGEEans to be present at the conference in order to avoid the constraints that limiting ourselves to the views of exclusively AEGEE members brings along with it. Since the conference is open to all young Europeans who do not necessarily have to be AEGEE members we encourage you to share this open call with all of your friends!

As a whole, we obviously want participants that are interested in the topics of democracy and rule of law. This does not mean that there’s an expertise requirement. The same way our speakers will come from different backgrounds and fields of expertise, we expect our participants to be as heterogeneous as one could imagine.

In order to apply, you have to fill it this formulary.

If AEGEEan, also the intranet form.

And of course, clicking attend to the Facebook event!

Tell us three reasons to visit Warsaw and attend your event.

Patrycja: I. Multiple Perspectives – speakers coming from different backgrounds, local and international participants bringing diverse experiences from their home countries will create a mixture of high quality thematic content that will enrich your knowledge on the topic.

II. State of Democracy – a core value of AEGEE. Therefore, in the times when its principles are under threat we should make an effort to critically assess the situation and take and active role in shaping the presence and influencing the future we want to live in.

III. Warsaw – a city you will fall in love with while experiencing its rich history and different faces. Also called a “phoenix city” as it has been rebuilt from ruins after World War II. It is a place full of contrasts – a mixture of the old and the new, of historical monuments and modern architecture, of traditional and alternative places.

Decide on your own reasons to take part in “Citizenship at its Grassroots” conference and join us in March in Warsaw!

This year every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends outside their native city. Many Antennae are planning a NYE such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Naples. In this article we will provide you more information about some of these events. This is part 3. For part 1, click here, and, for part 2, click here.

AEGEE-Bergamo, ‘Improve your skills’

This event, from the 28th of December until the 2nd of January, will be mostly about skiing, and one, apparently supervised, snowball fight. The entire event will take place in the Italian Alps, and might be the best NYE to learn how to ski, and other ski-related issues.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the intranet form, here, and by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Kraków, ‘Royal Birthday & Highlander’

AEGEE-Kraków also seems to capitalise on the folkoric and cultural aspect of their country. However, there are three important aspects, that make this local stand out: (1) there can be up to one hundred participants attending this event, (2) the event coincides with AEGEE-Kraków’s twenty-fifth birthday, and (3) each participating member of AEGEE can also sign up one friend, who is not a member, to join in the festivities.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Moskva and AEGEE-Kyïv, ‘Capital Cities #3’

This New Year’s Event is already the third instalment of this transnational celebration, during which the participants will visit both Moscow and Kiev to celebrate, what they call, a “true USSR NY celebration”. A lot of the programme consists of the classic activities, such as city tours, winter games, and cooking workshops, but the event sticks out from other NYEs by offering its participants activities such as the visit to a sauna and to do some fortune telling.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event by applying via the intranet and by filling in this Google form.

AEGEE-Samara, ‘Snow Russian Cocktail’

Marketed as a “Winter University”, AEGEE-Samara is going to host a New Year’s event for fifteen participants between the 30th of December and the 7th of January. The most important goal of this “WU”, reportedly, is to let the participants discover the Russian spirit, and many activities are planned to do so; one of which is horseback riding.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Thessaloniki e.a., ‘Our Big Fat Greek Winter University’

The final NYE on our list is another one marketed as a “Winter University”. For this event, all Antennae in Greece, that is to say AEGEE-Thessaloniki, AEGEE-Ioannina, AEGEE-Athina, AEGEE-Patra, AEGEE-Kastoria, and AEGEE-Peiraias, have banded together to organise one big event in six cities on the course of just thirteen days. The participants will visit a lot of places and sights that are significant to the Greek culture, however, only thirty people can apply.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event by applying via the intranet and by filling in this Google form.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

This year every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends outside their native city. Many Antennae are planning a NYE, such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Naples, Budapest. In this article we will provide you with more information about some of these events. This is part 2. For part 1, click here.

AEGEE-Maribor, ‘NYE vol.10’

AEGEE-Maribor’s ‘NYE vol. 10: Go BIG or go home’ is absolutely huge. This Antenna from Slovenia will host more participants than any of the other Antennae will on their NYE: 70. At this event, participants will barely find some time to rest. Besides skiing, which is basically the main activity, they will experience wine tasting in one of the oldest wine cellars in Europe, a trip to Bled where they can take a boat to the island in the middle of the lake, a spa day in Maribor and much more. And if they don’t like skiing or snowboarding, that is not a problem. They can choose any of the other bits of the programme like ice-skating, snow games, a trip to Ptuj, one of the best escape rooms in Europe, and more. AEGEE-Maribor is also offering its participants seven epic parties in six different clubs and, most importantly, they will be meeting awesome people from all over Europe.

It is a rarity to have skiing slopes right next to a city; at this NYE, you can try your first ski curves with the lovely view of the city of Maribor. And what is better than accommodation in the city centre, which is only a five-minute-walk away form the clubs? Every AEGEE member that already attended this NYE before can tell you that nightlife in Maribor, and Ljubljana, is amazing. This is why the Slovenian Antenna decided to offer its participants a visit to the capital of Slovenia as well. Plus, this year will also be the 10th anniversary of AEGEE-Maribor’s NYE.

You can find more information here. Apply for the event filling in the Google form here.

AEGEE-Skopje, ‘Win Up’

“Win Up: It’s Snow Time Deluxe Edition” is  the title of the NYE organised by AEGEE-Skopje, with help from some very experienced AEGEE members like Ivan Janevski, and Goran and Monika Borovcanska. The social programme of the event is mainly a big surprise. Monika can reveal the same things that everyone can already read in the description, but for  the rest she would really love to see the participants’ faces when they experience the activities [she smiles, ed.].

According  to Monika, there will be European Nights (yes, plural [she smiles, ed.]), a treasure hunt through the thrilling city, and very interesting workshops; including a drinking workshop, a snow workshop, a Macedonian Orthodox Christmas workshop. Furthermore, the participants will go ice-skating and wage a snow war. The whole event will be full of interesting games, competitions with lots of surprises, different sports, arts, and more stuff you simply cannot imagine.

AEGEE-Skopje will provide you with three (or more) meals per day and free drinks. The Macedonian Antenna will show you the modern and the ancient Skopje and, if you wish, you can travel to Sofia as well. They will also take you to the Pirin Mountain at the Bansko Ski resort, where everyone can ski or play snow games, and, when you go back to the hotel, you can relax in the spa. AEGEE-Skopje will host 30 awesome participants.

You can find more information on the event here. Apply to the event filling in Intranet here.

AEGEE-Budapest, “Be the bravest in Budapest!”

The Hungarian Antenna is planning to organise an ongoing quest during the whole NYE. This means that there will be competitions (challenges, quests, drinking games) where the participants can collect points in different aspects. This does not mean that there will be a first, second and third setting, then everyone will get a title at the end of the event (for instance the most creative, the funniest, the bravest, the loudest, etc…). There are two optional programmes and one of these is a typical Hungarian programme : spa day. This will take place on the first day of 2017. The other optional programme is ice-skating in the beautiful Városliget (popular Hungarian ice-skating place). As for the non-optional programmes, there will be some of the typical Hungarian-AEGEE activities like city-rally (where the participants will have the opportunity to explore Budapest and its famous attractions), European night, pub-crawl, Hungarian day (Hungarian dancing and cooking lessons). And, of course, wine-tasting. At the beginning there will be ice-breaking games (speed-date), and the organisers will do everything in order to create a friendly atmosphere. Before New Year’s Eve the organising team is planning to devote time to write resolutions for the new year and to recall the ones of the previous year.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

This year, every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends, outside their native city. Many antennae are planning a NYE such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Napoli. In this article, we will provide you more information about some of these events.

AEGEE-Zagreb- “Zagreb ADVENTure”

The first NYE, even though it’s held between 8-11 December, is Zagreb ADVENTure: Walking in the Christmas Wonderland. Nika Alujevic, the Main Organiser, told us some details about the event. “During the ADVENTure, the participants will visit a Christmas market under thousands of lights that create a special, magical atmosphere and make you instantly feel as if you stepped into the fairy tale. The AEGEEans will be dancing at the numerous concerts on the streets, skating next to the DJs from a rink in front of a theatre. After that,  they will warm up with mulled wine, punch and hot chocolate, and try some Croatian traditional sweets.

Apart from living in a Zagreb Christmas Fairy Tale, the participants will have some workshops about Croatian history and culture, an Europtimism workshop, a Christmas (and maybe snowy) treasure hunt, a pub crawl with some intriguing Christmas & Croatian drinks and really original tasks. Of course, every evening will end with a party. The AEGEEans will have a chance to discover the nightlife variety  Zagreb has to offer (the live AEGEE-Zagreb concert battle of the bands, a Christmas party, karaoke, and more surprises).

Now, warm up with watching some videos like this one here.  Still hesitating? Are you eager to meet the famous AEGEE-Zagreb people and see how the second best organizers of the Summer Universities 2016 and organizers of EPM 2017 celebrate Christmas in their beautiful city of million hearts? [she smiles, ed.] This is your unique chance! Don’t miss it!”

AEGEE-Zagreb will accept 20 lucky participants that will show the best motivation for joining their event.

You can find more information on their Facebook event clicking here, apply on Intranet here and fill in the Google form here.

AEGEE-Napoli- “Neapolis on Fire”

William Andrea Mazza, the Main Organizer of “Neapolis on fire: a Nap(less) experience!” and the IT Responsible of AEGE-Napoli, told us that AEGEE-Napoli is working hard these days to arrange all the activities and, of course, the social programme for the event. The Italian antenna is planning to have the best NYE night AEGEE has never seen: a dinner with typical Neapolitan dishes and crazily weird, superstitious traditions to let their participants fully discover their culture and live the NYE night. At midnight they will see the fireworks and after they will keep celebrating at the seaside party held every New Year’s Eve in the city.

There are so many good reasons for AEGEE members to apply to the event:

• Napoli is a city full of unique traditions and daily routines that reach their best at a NYE.
• The Church of St. Gregory of Armenia and the nativity scene statues’ shops, markets and the music everywhere conjure an unique atmosphere.
• So do the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, the castles, the breathing views of the gulf, the churches, the monuments etc.
• The activities the organisers of AEGEE-Napoli have planned will let the participants totally immerse in the Napolitan culture and lifestyle. They will be able to see the historical centre, the seaside, the castles, the archaeological site of Pompei, Salerno and the “Luci d’Artista” that makes the city a must during Christmas holidays.

AEGEE-Napoli will host 20 participants and it will do the best to have the most culturally different group.

You can find more information here, apply to the event filling the Intranet form here and the Google form here.

AEGEE-Utrecht- “Bucket List”

The third NYE on this list is AEGEE-Utrecht’s Dutch Up Your Bucket List!. This year, the programme   will include many exciting activities. It will have a thrilling fire breathing workshop from a circus expert, beside experiencing new kinds of foods and participating in an old Dutch tradition of diving into the sea at the first of January. Furthermore, there are lots of parties in a vibrant student city of Utrecht.

The legendary European night. Adventure edition, visiting student clubs, an awesome New Year’s party, and a pub crawl are also included in the event. The participants will thus not only discover the nightlife of Utrecht, but cultural activities such as: an underground tour of the city, ascending the ancient Dom tower and a class in Dutch as well. Plus, there are more nice surprises!

So, there are many reasons to apply to the event. For example, where else can you find the event that will change your life, push you out of your comfort zone, combined with the best parties and best people? This is the best start of the new year that anyone can wish for. Utrecht is definitely the place to be this year!

The Dutch antenna will accept 25 participants. You can apply for the event by filling in the Intranet form here and the Google form here. You can find further info about the event here. You can also watch their promotional video by clicking here.

Good luck to everyone!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

Voronezh, located roughly halfway between Moscow and Rostov-on-Don, is hosting one of the ten Network Meetings this spring. The programme’s sneak peak is enticing, the members of AEGEE-Voronezh are motivated, and their mascot is adorable. For a closer look on this event from 07/04 till 10/04  we turn to former NetCommie, and organiser of this NWM, Natalia Ivleva.

The AEGEEan: Could you tell us a bit more about the people who are organising the upcoming NWM?

Natalia: The team of organisers mostly consist of the local board of AEGEE-Voronezh. With some of team-members I’ve been working for almost three years, and others joined our team last summer and were really helpful with SU organisation. Also, we will have some active helpers who always give a really great input in the organisational process of all our events.

And of course our main helper is A-Ёzh, the new mascot of AEGEE-Voronezh.

So, we have a really great, strong and experienced team of colleagues, friends and true AEGEEans [She smiles]

I’m very proud to be a part of this team!

Why has AEGEE-Voronezh decided to organise a NWM this year?

AEGEE-Voronezh have discussed this idea for quite a long time. But only now we have enough resources, support and passion to organise an amazing NWM. So, we applied through the open call and were chosen by the NetCom team.

Has AEGEE-Voronezh organised NWMs in the past, and were they similar to each other and to this one?

For AEGEE-Voronezh as organisers this is the first NWM but as a former NetCommie I personally have some experience in organising, coordinating and facilitating NWMs and I may say that they are all totally different.

Could you tell us something about the programme of the NWM?

The content managers of all the NWMs are always NetCommies and they are still working on the most relevant topics and the coolest workshops.

What can we promise from our side? Interesting city-quest, tasty food, amazing parties and lots of kurazh (if you know what I mean [she says cheekily] )

How many people do you expect will come to your NWM, and from which nationalities do you think they will be?

We have already reserved 25 spots at the hostel for our participants but will be really happy to host more.

As for nationalities… Don’t you know that AEGEE don’t have a national level and not look at nationalities?

Of course, we are expecting to see lots of members from the nearest locals and some of them have already started searching for  tickets and packing their stuff and also we are open to applicants from all over the Network.

Why would you recommend people to attend your NWM; what sets you apart from the others or previous NWMs?

“Let’s twist again!” That is the name, the motto and the main tune of our NWM. Our team will provide great combo of interesting sessions, amazing parties, serious discussions, fun moments and unforgettable atmosphere for you!

Come to NWM Voronezh and ‘Let’s twist again’!

You can check the event on Facebook here and apply here and here.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

The Summer University Project School (SUPS) is taking place from 7th-14th December this year in Cluj-Napoca and the participants are about to be chosen. We asked Anna Pykhtina, a traveler, cycler, Ukrainian, member of AEGEE-Kyiv and also PR Responsible of SUCT (Summer University Coordination Team) and Training Manager of the event, a few questions so we can find out more about the project that helps you discover and create the best Summer University.

How did you become Training Manager for SUPS?
Anna: Frankly, I didn’t plan to become Training Manager of Summer University Project School as I already attended it this March in Izmir as SUCT representative. But there were some reasons why I changed my mind – being Training Manager of such great event is new, exciting, challenging for me and I adore this mix of excitement and a bit of fear at the same time as it makes me feel so alive! As I saw the project from inside, now I am willing to make it even better. Last but not the least, after one year in SUCT, I realized how important is to organize a European School dedicated to the Summer University Project, the most popular and famous one, on the highest level. We need to share the idea of making it better, more focused on learning objectives, more open to different activities, more aiming to make new members active afterwards, and SUPS is one of the best ways to do it!

Why is SUPS organized earlier this time?
The preparations for a Summer University start much earlier than many AEGEEans think. The submission of a preliminary program, the name of each SU, dates, price and description have to be submitted in early January, therefore the core of the organizer’s team – Main Coordinator, Incoming Responsible and Treasurer have to be chosen even earlier. So there is a huge amount of work before «Day X», the 1st of March, when the list of all SUs is online. SUCT has to check every program and count the amount of fee. It is also the time to work on a PR strategy and time to start arranging places and looking for partners for organizers, so that’s why we are insisting on the importance of organizing SUPS so early.

The SU project is a long-term project for every local and to make the life of organizers easier we are preparing sessions and workshops that will cover topics such as: Leadership, Motivation, Teambuilding, PR, Fundraising, and we’ll explain how to make a efficient budget, how to deal with problematic participants and any kind of problems. Coming back home, our participants will have their head full of new, but extremely important knowledge and lifehacks.

How do you feel about AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca organizing this event?
I am working with the main coordinator from AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca, Bia, and Andra from the Academy together for a month and I can say that I am very satisfied with both of them. We have a common vision about how the project has to look like and everyone knows their fields of responsibility. I can fully rely on them and it makes the preparation process interesting and exciting! I also heard a lot of good comments about their Summer University, so I am sure that we will rock this SUPS!

Moreover, I am very excited to visit Cluj-Napoca as I never visited this part of the continent and I am curious to see the city and country. Therefore, I am sure it is also one more benefit that will persuade people to apply.

The application period for trainers is over. How will you select the trainers?
The Summer University Project School is a great event not only for participants, but also for organizers as they can deliver a big amount of interesting topics and share their own experience. We received eleven applications this year and compared to last year, it will be more difficult to choose: all of them have strong personalities and the majority already has impressive experience as trainers and SU organizers! So we will have to choose the best of the best – reading carefully every application and taking into consideration the number of SU organized and participation in other projects. The Academy, SUCT and AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca will vote and the results will be announced soon.

So, future participants, you have to trust us, we will have amazing trainers for you!

How many participants will there be? Are you looking for someone special, some kind of skills and knowledge from a participant?
We are expecting to have around 25 highly motivated participants who will use their gained knowledge while organizing a Summer University as this knowledge is really comprehensive. But not only those who are going to be Main coordinators, Incoming Responsibles and Treasurers, those who will be helpers and also those who still doubt to join – they are our target audience and we encourage you to apply! We are not looking for any specific knowledge or skills, just a desire to learn how to contribute to the Summer University project effectively. During the SUPS not only workshops, but also real Study Cases, taken from this year’s projects will be delivered to participants and each of them will have a unique chance to discuss how to solve any kinds of problems we face every summer. We all know that a Summer University is an event that effects the image of every local and it is for both AEGEE newbies and experienced members, so we also suggest board members to think about attending it or to send their potential SU organizers.

What are your expectations for this event?
You might call me too ambitious, but I strongly believe that the Summer University Project School that will take place from 7th to 14th of December in the beautiful city of Cluj-Napoca, will be one of the greatest events of the year. Imagine – amazing trainers with their different and great approach of giving presentations, active and interesting participants who are willing to learn so they appreciate and use every possibility to learn and experience more and helpful organizers who take care of a exciting social program! In the end, SUPS is also some kind of simulation of Summer University where not only participants, but everyone who’s involved in the process is having a new experience.

I expect that together we will not only learn basic things, but go deeper into the strong and weak sides of the project in order to improve it and give our suggestions to newly elected members of the Summer University Coordination Team.

You can find more info on their Facebook page here, and check out the application form here!

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

The AEGEEan recently announced the selection of two new members to the Editors team; Erika Bettin and Cosmina Bisboaca. But why did they decide to dedicate even more time to AEGEE’s official online magazine? The AEGEEan interviewed them about this exact question.

Erika at Agora Zaragoza

Erika Bettin, President of AEGEE-Venezia, has become very active in AEGEE even though being close to quitting AEGEE only a few months ago. Today she is a member of different projects such as the Culture Working Group and the Election Observation Project and her most recent position is Editor of the People section in The AEGEEan.

Cosmina Bisboaca is from AEGEE-Torino, which she joined one year ago, and has been trying many ways to get more and more active. The first thing she did in AEGEE was becoming a journalist for The AEGEEan and today she is the new editor of the European Events section.

What made you apply to become an editor?

Erika: I entered The AEGEEan team officially in late November and I tried to be as active as possible. When I saw the open call for the editor position, I was doubtful, because I was very new in the team, but I took the chance and it paid off. You know, “When I grow up” I want to do this for a living and I’m trying to grab every single opportunity to grow and make new experiences.

Cosmina: I was a journalist for one year now, so when I came to know about the vacancy I immediately decided to apply. I felt like it had to be the next step of my AEGEE experience.

Erika, what made you apply for the People’s section?

I applied for the People’s section because it is my favorite. I’m really into storytelling and I truly believe that our Network is full of inspiring stories to tell. So I’d like to implement the storytelling part, besides the Member of the Month interview. One of my dreams is to reach some of the founding members of AEGEE and some pillars of our association as well. I also have some crazy ideas about some radio podcast or video interview to include in the articles.

What do you like about being part of The AEGEEan?

Erika: If The AEGEEan would ever have an actual newsroom, it would be cozy and colorful, that’s what I like. We are a small group that works hard to deliver good articles. Unfortunately we have never met in person, but I like the fact that no matter at what time I send a message to Anna Gumbau Martinez (the Editor in Chief ed.), she’s always more than fast in answering, and so is the team.

Cosmina: Being part of such a team is great and especially rewarding. It has helped a lot to improve my knowledge about our association and to get to know more about what is happening on the European level and  what the projects, aims and values of our association are.

The strategies and ideas we discuss almost every day help us to develop not only as a team, but also to develop ourselves separately. It’s interesting to see how we sometimes disagree on things as a result of our cultural background and different ideas and how this helps us to be a stronger team than before, facing each other and discussing.

How would you like to see the team develop in general?

Cosmina: I think that more cooperation in a communicative sense and more coordination would be nice. But we are working on that as we have strengthened ourselves a lot recently.

Erika: Journalism never sleeps so I really believe that velocity in publishing is the key. Moreover I think that our Network deserves to have an official journalistic point of reference and I find, unluckily and inexplicably, that our magazine is somehow underrated. In certain periods, you always see the usual names who sign the articles so I’d love to see the team grow further.

Erika, in the People’s section there will soon be focus on the candidatures for the Agora. How will you help ensure that all candidates get the same amount of exposure?

As soon as we have all the candidate names we will surely start to approach them, to give us an interview and present them to the Network. Again, the key is the rapidity, so hopefully we will have them ready some weeks before the Agora. I will encourage journalists to have, whenever it is possible, face to face interviews with the candidates, because it’s faster than you can imagine.

Cosmina, in the European Events section there will soon be focus on preparing for the Agora Patra. How will you help ensure that participants will be well prepared for the big event?

As Erika said we will interview candidates for the Comité Directeur, Juridical Commission, Network Commission and the Secretary of the Agora. There will be information about the workshops and the AEGEE Fair. Moreover, there will be an Agora Live Coverage in cooperation with the PRESS team in order to keep those who cannot attend the Agora updated. After the Agora, we will still share information about what has been decided and what has changed.

Also in general it has been difficult to get journalists to write about European Events taking place and thereby we don’t hear about all of them. How do you think that can be changed?

Cosmina: True. This is a common block that prevents people from knowing how many awesome events are being organized around Europe. I think that just asking the participants to write an article could work, I am sure some will dare to share his/her feelings on a screen. All in all, it’s a nice way to thank the organizers for the great job they have done.

What other type of articles would you like to see published in your section?

Cosmina: Every type of European Event of course: from Network Meetings to pre-events. I would like people to focus more on what the event taught them and how the experience changed their way of perceiving AEGEE and its extended range of opportunities.

It will be interesting to see what Erika, Cosmina and the rest of the editors team will come up in the near future hopefully developing the magazine even more.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza

 During the last Agora in Zaragoza, ‘Nationalism‘ was elected as the topic for the upcoming EBM in Lublin. Different thematic sessions workshops have been prepared to give a deeper insight to EBM participants about it, such as the workshop ‘Branding nationalism the American way’ that Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen/AEGEE-Debrecen and Speaker of the Public Relations Committee) will give.

The AEGEEan: How exactly do you brand nationalism the American way?

Réka Salamon: The name of the workshop aims to refer to the spectacular American fashion of wearing their national identity on their foreheads (sometimes literally!). We are often mislead by a biased media presentation or misguided by our own stereotypes against the Americans but the massive amount of their national symbols and their reapparance in every possible surface, penetrating every possible aspect of their daily lives from food commercials to cinematography, from political speeches to civic education… the concept is simply astonishing. But is the USA really the greatest nation on Earth – how the Americans are often trying to present it – or it is only based upon a series of exaggerations and blind patriotic images?

AEGEEan: Why is it important for Europeans to learn from this American way of branding?

Réka: Not only AEGEEans, but also young Europeans in general tend to be caught up in the ‘continental mindset’, meaning, we possibly have a great knowledge of the European culture and it’s 1000-year-old traditions and tendencies up until nowadays, during the time of the EU integration and crises. One aspect of bringing the American viewpoint into all this is to discover what is behind the nowadays commonly used annotation of ‘United States of Europe’ and how Europeans can learn from the American model mainly by means of establishing a unified pro-European vision for all the citizens. The other aspect the workshop is to provide the Europe-bubbled mindset with a fresh global perspective by drawing a comparison between the European and the American model.

The AEGEEan: What can AEGEE members learn from your workshop?

Réka: AEGEE members will be introduced to the background concept of American patriotism from a brief historical perspective up until nowadays. The participants will be invited to take an active part in sharing their own impressions and stereotypical thoughts about the American culture, which ideas will be challenged and eventually “lessons” will be learnt. What is the impact of the iconic American patriotism in the everyday lives of American citizens? Is it a wildly manipulative articifial imposition or a heartfelt attachment for their motherland? From reenacting famous speeches to debunking the idea behind Captain America, learning and entertainment is granted!

The AEGEEan: What makes you the perfect person to give this workshop?

Réka: I have already given various types of presentations and was presenter at progress meetings during our statutory events. I completed my Masters in English and American Studies at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. I was also working in the US for a few months and had the opportunity to meet the living-breathing images from my textbooks. Yes, they are normal human beings (smiles), with a very unique mindset when it comes to their attachment to their country and this is something i have always found admirable and intriguing at the same time. Learning about the American culture in its past and current developments is one of the personal interests of mine.

The AEGEEan: What do you epect of participants joining the workshop?

Réka: I expect the participants to bring a lot of enthusiasm and dare to share even the craziest ideas they might have! I am also curious to meet fellow American Studies students, but in any case, the only thing is to be active! I would like to fulfil the participants’ expectations and meet the learning objectives of the workshop and have a mutually satisfying and fun time together!

Interested in this workshop? The exact infomation about time and place of the workshop will be announced during the EBM, but will also be available online in the EBM Lublin 2014 – Official Group

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Would you like to find out the story behind the “révolution heureuse”? Do you know whose slogan is “Liberty, Order, Justice”? Or you have travelled the whole Europe at the age of twenty-something (which is actually not impossible if you are an AEGEEan), and you are extremely eager to discover something new? If your response to any of these questions is yes, keep reading.

At the moment when various forms of civil disobedience are in progress on our continent (no matter whether you consider them demonstrations, revolutions, or something else), it is so intriguing to see what it looks like when one of them successfully finishes. There were different socio-cultural reasons for which Tunisia was a special case of the Arab Spring. Full Internet access, closeness to Europe (not only geographically), a big percentage of high-educated, but unemployed young people are only one of them. Since every AEGEEan supports taking an action instead of only complaining on social networks, this is an awesome opportunity to meet young people who actually did so. Undoubtedly, we can learn from them as much as they can from us.

The event takes place from 11th until 18th of May, with a 140 euros fee, including: accommodation in a hostel, three meals per day, transportation inside Tunisia and entrance fees to all the places visited as the part of the programme.

The programme provides you with activities exploring both the modern and conservative sides of Tunisia, meetings with members of different Tunisian NGOs, discussions about the Tunisian revolution and the Arab Spring, visits to religious and historic sites, as well as diferent cultural activities.

If none of the above reasons have convinced you to apply yet, feel free to check Facebook pages of EuroArab Project of AEGEE- Europe, or simply of the event itself. Of course, unless the wonderful photos taken personally by our HR Responsible Mariem Ben Ltaifa do not manage to seduce you before that.

More information can be found in:

• EuroArab Project Facebook Group
• Facebook Page of the Event

Written by Lana Tomić, AEGEE-Zagreb

New Year, new day, new beginning – for a real AEGEEan there can be no better way how to start it, as taking part in a Winter University (WU). This New Year in Riga was specially spicy because 30 amazing participants from nine countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine) took part in WU Sp(ICE) Matters: White Winter. They came for Black Balsam to mark the start of 2014 and discover the beauty of Latvia.

Even if the weather played some tricks on us and Riga was far from a white winter wonderland, it did not stop us from enjoying some typical seasons’ activities like ice-skating and diving into an ice-cold pond after a hot sauna. We even drove dog sledges in a misty forest and rang in the New Year watching the spectacular fireworks in the heart of Riga.

AEGEE-Las Palmas member Kamal Vasnani admitted that this event was very special because he managed to try lot of activities he had never done before, but especially thrilling for him was balancing on ice. “I was happy to overcome my fear of skating, and I think I made quite good progress. I even managed to do it on my own at some points, although most of the times I had the help of other people.”

Alina from AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg stressed the festive, joyful vibe of Riga, but she relished also the time spent in nature. “If I have to name one activity I liked the most, I think it was the sauna, because it was so cool to be in the sauna and then jump into the lake and afterwards get warm in jacuzzi,” said Alina. “I think most of all I enjoyed the time that we spent in the guest house, I like all this nature stuff. And conditions were the best from all the places I’ve been with AEGEE.”

We made sure that everyone who took part in this WU will know how to survive in the wild and also wink wisely every time someone doesn’t know what to do with the traditional Riga Black Balsam – Latvias’ most characteristic drink (by the way – Mohito à la Latvian is a great idea). We learnt Latvian Christmas’ and New Years’ traditions and even performed a folk custom called “mumming”. What does that mean? We made traditional Latvian masks (horses, wolfs, haystacks and, yes, even death) in which mummers usually travel from house to house bringing a blessing to every place they visit.

“This WU roused a lot of positive emotions,” said AEGEE-Rīga president Lelde Pētersone. “I was able to laugh with joy and test my strength. I truly appreciated the participants’ willingness to plunge into all the adventures together with us.”

Those days starting from 27th December till 2nd January were full of amazing adventures and discoveries. We – the organizers – want to thank all the participants for making this event so special. And remember: Riga will always welcome you back!

AEGEE-Rīga wants so say a special thanks to the Fazer Bakery!

Written by Signe Apsite, AEGEE-Riga