Vasiliki Andrioti, member of AEGEE-Ioannina, main organiser of a Winter University and of a NWM, is one of the most active members of her Antenna. She also collaborated as SubCommie with Network Commissioner Spyros Papadatos.  Now she wants to share her passion for the SU project and improve it. Furthermore, Vasiliki shares some proposals about the 30th anniversary of the SU. We interviewed her about her candidature and her programme. 

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to run for a position in the Summer University Coordination team?

Vasiliki: Summer University is the project that changed my life. Even if it sounds cliché for an AEGEEan to say so, this is the truth. I consider myself a totally different person before and after Summer 2016. Using this SU’s title BBS, I am Bigger, Better, Stronger after it. I am very passionate about SU. So my will to get involved on the European level (other than The AEGEEan, that matches my academic interests) is an absolute extension to my passion for Summer University. Through this year that I have become actually active by organising and participating to various events (SUPS, SU, NWM, Agora, etc.), I have gained skills and I have come up with ideas that I can see now visualised in the Summer University Project. This is my main motivation for running for Fundraiser and Content Manager. I would like to give back to AEGEE and SU, specifically, what I have been gifted on experience and knowledge. I would consider myself really proud to be part of this team.

You are in the board of AEGEE-Ioannina, appointed main organiser for upcoming events, already active at the European level. How do you plan to balance your committments with SUCT?

The last year I admit that it has been very active for me. As I usually say, my life is all about AEGEE now. Actually I owe this motivation that keeps me moving to Summer University. It wasn’t hard for me to decide that I wanted to involve myself on the local and, after a while, on the European level, as I was seeking a medium to express myself. Until now, I have managed to cooperate very well and to live up to the expectations in every position. I am the perfectionist type of person [she laughs]. I always give 100%+1 of myself in everything I am involved. And this is what I am planning to do with SUCT as well. I am very passionate about this project and I am absolutely ready to be devoted and work for it. As for my other commitments, on the local level I am only busy on a demanding level up to the 5th of November, that NWM-Ioannina finishes its circle.

Other than this, my fellow board members and NetCom Spyros Papadatos are aware of my decision and they support me with any potentially increased duties. My first priorities this year are two: SUCT and The AEGEEan. I am finding myself to have ideas that I would really like to put in practice for both projects. This year I feel the need to create and give back to the association the knowledge and competences I have gained all this time. To conclude, I do not believe in neither quitting nor over-taking responsibilities. I believe on being able to put duties in hierarchy and trust me, I know this well. If it is on stake, SUCT will never come second.

What is your most relevant experience when it comes to Summer University?

In the last two years I have participated in four Summer Universities (Ioannina 2016- helper, Cagliari 2016- participant, Ioannina 2017- organiser & trainer, Cagliari 2017- helper). Ioannina-Cagliari, 2-2 [she laughs]. I have covered pretty much every position available in a Summer University project and I am really thankful for the experience of getting to know this amazing AEGEE spirit. Other than this though, I have gained a series of competences and skills, such as project management, public speaking and communication, risk assessment, delivering sessions, leadership, FR, being the ever happy reader of the gossip box, cooking for fifty people [she laughs], etc. But above all, I would put teamwork. A SU is a teamwork project, from whichever point you may see it, and I consider this my most valuable gain from it.

Your application is very focused on content. Do you have any idea on how to develop a fundraising strategy for SUs?

My application is mainly focused on content, because my primary interest in SUCT is Content Manager. In my years in AEGEE I have mostly worked on this direction on the local and European level. In my local, AEGEE-Ioannina, I have been working as main organiser or organiser for events, meetings, presentations being mainly responsible for the content. I believe that content is what builds the basis on which every activity can be further developed. As for the European level, I have been a member of The AEGEEan for almost a year now and I have gained experience on communicating with various people across the Network for interviews, writing interviews and getting involved with a wide range of subjects that concern AEGEE. Lastly, since Agora Enschede I have been a SubCommie to NetCom Spyros Papadatos (on the field of Thematic Events). I think that quality should be a priority when it comes to a project like Summer University, and I am in the position to offer this quality as Content Manager with my knowledge and experience.

Despite this, being a main organiser twice (“Our Big Fat Greek Winter University”, on behalf of my antenna, and NWM-Ioannina), I also have experience on Budgeting and Corporate Fundraising, which is the strategy that we mainly follow in AEGEE-Ioannina. Therefore, I have realised that, on the field of Corporate Fundraising, it is easier for a company to offer funds to a contentful event or project that means to have an impact. This is the reason why I am insisting that much on content and I am running for the position of Fundraiser as well.

If I am going to be elected, I would like mostly to collaborate with CIRC, the European Body responsible for this. My aim is to bring locals closer to an actual assistance on fundraising, other than providing them only with models, that sometimes can be proven unrealistic or difficult to be adopted. I feel very challenged to achieve this composition between Fundraiser and Content Manager, even if I believe deeply that fundraising for SUCT is the product of teamwork among all SUCTies.

Do you have previous experience in fundraising for associations? As Main Organiser of the upcoming Autumn NWM Ioannina 2017 (main organiser) and “My Big Fat Greek” Winter University 2017 (main organiser for AEGEE-Ioannina), did you use some sort of fundraising strategy (i.e. for goods, gadgets, funds or grants)?

The experience I have on Fundraising is mainly focused, as I have said, on Corporate Fundraising. In AEGEE-Ioannina we mostly follow this strategy because it is more realistic on its goals and more suitable to the current economic situation in Greece. For the upcoming NWM-Ioannina, for which I am the main coordinator, I have chosen this strategy, in collaboration with the Fundraising Director of AEGEE-Ioannina, asking for goods that cover all requirements (meals, logistics, transportation expenses, etc.) of a four days event as NWM is. As for Institutional Fundraising, during “Winter University” we managed to make some steps by contacting and establishing a potentially fruitful relationship with the Municipality of Ioannina.

What would you like to organise for the event for celebrating the 30th anniversary of Summer University Project and why?

Summer University is the biggest and longest running project in AEGEE. As this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary, I believe it should be honoured with a celebration that will recognise and pay its respects to all organisers, participants, SUCTies and every person that has contributed to it. I have two ideas right now in my mind. The first proposal would be an exhibition with the history, photos and memoirs from all year’s of Summer University Project in next Agora. My second thought would be to contact The AEGEEan’s Editor-In-Chief and begin a new section, which will be dedicated to the 30th anniversary. Of course though, if I am going to be elected, I would like to cooperate with current SUCT and CD about the work that has already be done and the aspirations that they both have on the anniversary.

Questions from the Network

During the SUs we ask organisers with no previous experience on how to deliver a session to deliver workshops. Could you elaborate on how you would like to develop the booklet with interactive ways for delivering the compulsory sessions?

I share the same concern about what you are refering to. I have participated in four SUs (and many other events) and if I have to be honest, I have rarely seen organisers or participants enjoying or getting the most out of the knowledge they are being provided with. This is from where I got my idea about the booklet of interactive ways to deliver a session. I would like to mostly work with SUpporters and European Bodies for creating and publishing it.

In extent, I would like to hold an open call for the Network, so that people with relevant experience on delivering sessions in both formal or interactive way can share their knowledge or experience. This booklet is going to involve specific guidelines and examples on how to deliver a workshop (compulsory or of any other subject). Having participated in Erasmus+ projects, which develop in a large scale this system, I have witnessed that non-formal education can be more efficient than traditional ways of knowledge transfer.

Other than this, I am of the opinion that an organiser who has never delivered a session will find it easier to adapt an interactive way to their personality, enrich it with their own experience and therefore, be able to hold the workshop successfully. Make it theirs! Professional trainers or even experienced ones are not always a solution for every local, and besides this everybody starts from somewhere. Moreover, such sessions can be held at any time and any place, which is a big advantage to the overall result. This booklet will be available before SUs and even explained and introduced in the SUPS.

In your programme you refer to a forum/session in the SUs that will aim to provoke discussion on everyday issues. What exactly are you aiming with this?

Thank you for making this question to me, as this is one of the most challenging aspects of my programme. The idea begins from the Open Space that already exists in NWMs. I have participated in two NWMs (Cagliari 2016 and Thessaloniki 2017) and I have been inspired the most during this specific session. This is the reason why I would like to see it implemented in a SU.

SU is the most successful and recognisable project in AEGEE, which attracts hundreds of participants every year. Therefore, I think it is fit to have a forum/session that matches the ever moving world we are living in. The current political, social and economical situation in Europe provokes a sense of instability among every citizen, let alone young people like us. The very successful title of last year’s EPM, “Populism: Europe Under Siege”, describes in the best way possible the reality we are living. In this forum/session young people (participants and organisers) will have the space to express their thoughts and fears regarding AEGEE and beyond AEGEE issues. For me this is a form of public discussion and communication.

Other than compulsory workshops on what AEGEE is and the Focus Areas, we need to listen to the voice of our Network. My aim is to achieve a wider integration to society’s issues and to prepare young people to face the challenges of our era. Finally… IDEAS. Ideas that will lead to future projects/groups in AEGEE and will transfer these problematics from theory to practice. Summer University inspires us all and I believe it is the right place for such a forum/session (whichever the name) to exist.

What do you hope to achieve through the collaboration with European bodies and external partners?

I can only sum it up in two words. Rich content. Through a close collaboration between European bodies and external partners, locals can have an efficient assistance on finding and establishing the core, the basis, around which they can organise their SU. As an organiser, I know that it can be proven difficult to come up with an idea about a SU.

As a potential Content Manager, I would like to help this become easier and also, taking it one step further, support and motivate locals to get out of their comfort zone and create a SU that will challenge them. Moreover, locals can also cooperate with European bodies by asking trainers on that specific theme they choose as content. Content is not to be feared by organisers or participants. It can offer a solid structure to the SU and help with all aspects (FR,PR, etc.). It can be implemented in various ways and have different forms that will appeal on organisers and participants.

We do not share all of the same interest, but we need to make our own the project we are organising. I am very willing to help locals through this process and achieve a wide range of Summer Universities for every interest.

You said in your application that you want to keep SUpporters and activate them more. Do you have programme for that? What exactly and how they can support you? In our opinion, why right now SUpporters are not so active?

I am absolutely in favour of the idea of SUpporters, as I can see a good potential in it. Even if I have not been part of SUpporters this year, I have been informed about the advantages and disadvantages regarding the team and I believe that it was mainly the lack of a certain delegation of tasks, that has prevented SUpporters from working on their full possibilities. This is the reason I would like to establish a more concrete format and activate SUpporters further. Specifically, my intention is to reorganise the team and delegate positions for SUpporters. Through this I would like to achieve creating a team around each SUCTie, which will work close with them on reference to their various and particular responsibilities.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

Tekla Hadju, former Network Director of the Comité Directeur, after eight Agorae as active member, wants to be still involved in the European level so that she presented her candidature as Chairperson/Vice-Chairperson  of the Agora. She is aware of the responsibilities of the position and she expresses some ideas about how to improve the organisation of the Agora. We interviewed her about her candidature and her programme.

The AEGEEan: Tekla, what would you like people to know about you?

Tekla: Hello dear AEGEEans, I am Tekla from AEGEE-Budapest, and an active member of AEGEE for a while. Like many other AEGEEans, I enjoy travelling to the fullest, meeting new people and challenging myself to learn something new. I also like reading, animals (especially horses and dogs), games, spending times with friends and, of course, having fun.

What is your history with AEGEE?

I have been a member for five years and I have been active both locally and in European Bodies: I was PR Responsible and Vice-President for External Relations in AEGEE-Budapest, I was Network Commissioner between Agora Cagliari and Agora Kyiv, Vice-Speaker of Network Commission between Agora Asturias and Agora Kyiv, Network Commission Assistant between Agora Kyiv and Agora Bergamo, and last year I was Network Director in the 54th Comité Directeur.

What is it that you like the most about AEGEE?

For me, AEGEE’s core are the members: they are coming from many different cultures and backgrounds, but the same goals and the AEGEE-spirit link us together. I also like the many opportunities for attending AEGEE events, and amongst them Agora is one of my favourites due to making important decisions, but also for learning something new, reuniting or meeting with people, and of course for all the excitement that happens during an Agora.

What made you want to become the (Vice-)Chairperson of the Agora/EPM?

Agorae have played an important role in my AEGEE-life, and the Chairperson/Vice-Chairperson position is the one I was interested in pursuing after my CD life. My motivation also comes from the reason that I find the well-being of the Network and the members very important, and I feel like this is the position where I can contribute with my experience and my knowledge which I have gained not just from my former positions, but also with the 8 Agorae I have attended so far (Catania will be my 9^th).

What do you think are the Chairperson responsibilities for Agora?

The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are mainly responsible for the facilitation of the Agora: they are the final responsibles for setting up the agenda, making sure that the most important things are brought forward, coordinating the event on spot, taking into consideration many factors (timing, logistics, requests, etc.) and most importantly they should be objective and give enough possibilities for all sides to express their opinions both during the preparation process (selection processes, creating the agenda) and during the event itself (timing, speaking rights, opening and closing the question lines, announcements, statements, etc.).

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

I already have some experience from the Drafting part of the EPM on how to put together the agenda, and as Chair Team jobshadower now I have an estimation of how much time and effort is required for these tasks for the Agora. I would not like to give concrete numbers, but so far I was showing high level of responsibility towards my tasks, and I will make sure that I will dedicate enough time for these tasks from my daily life.

How much time would you dedicate in making online preparatory sessions for all delegates? It looks really difficult, if just for the high number of Antennas.

Because of the different availability of people, first of all I would like to collect the needs of the locals and the delegates regarding what they would like to focus on for Agora preparation, including their availability for online preparations. In order to make a good balance of preparation but not taking too much time from them, at first I would say three or four meetings would be scheduled, and I would collect the feedback after Agora Kraków for improving the system. I would like to issue more supporting booklets and materials for delegates (not just the Agora for Dummies), which can be helping also those who will not be able to attend the meetings. I would also have ideas to collaborate with the HRC’s Agora Mentorship project for the preparations, but I would first discuss the idea with them.

How would you improve the organisation of the Agora?

What is usually taking more time than expected is technical problems – with the selection of IT of the Agora and using the previous experience of Local Organisers, former Chair Teams and the IT director I would explore possibilities on how to reduce the amount of technical problems during the plenaries. I would also bring back timers for candidatures and AEGEE presentations in order to keep the timing more effective, and to remind them to stay within their allocated time. Of course the organisation can be improved by putting together a suitable agenda, which depends mostly on the collaboration between Chair Team, CD, Local Organisers and JC (and of course on the needs of participants). For this, I would like to maintain a close cooperation with these Bodies. Last, but not least, my aim would be to increase the level of participation, which could be solved again by putting together a suitable agenda.

What themes would you propose for the next Agora in order to get involved more visitors?

First of all, I would consult with Local Organisers and CD regarding this topic, as Local Organisers would know which projects could be interesting for their city (and for possible sponsors), and CD is the Body that is aware of the hot topics in the European agenda (for possible grants). Personally, I would be happy to see a V4 related-theme for Agora Kraków, as this would not just be fitting for possible (financial) support, but also there have not been many events recently on this topic within AEGEE, but as I said this also needs to be consulted with different actors.

Why should people vote for you in particular?

I am a hard-working and reliable person who is always very dedicated towards the position taken. I believe that my motivation and experience make me a good candidate, and I am able to work well within teams both as a team leader and as a team player. Last, but not least, I would still like to see AEGEE as a place for finding out what people like to do the most, and I would like the Agora to be this place for many people.

Questions from the Network

During NWMs 2014/2015, as a trainer you seemed quite impatient when participants did not engage in sessions much, didn’t show up or came late. On Agora, this behavior is maxed out – and people won’t be respectful. Will you be able to deal with this?

Since 2015 I have put more efforts in improving my training methods, and I think I have developed them more to deal with this part as well, but it is true that I do value attention and showing up in time for sessions. I will of course remind people to pay attention, but my main focus will be on the smooth functioning of the event, which will be prioritised over other matters.

Due to open calls after open calls, people that apply on time for the Agora suffer and get their acceptance very late. Every time I apply on time I feel cheated, as I have to wait for weeks and weeks to finally know if I can buy flights. Do you plan to favor people that apply on time, finally?

Personally, I would look for possibilities to have different timing and selection of participants according to application time, but this part has to be agreed together also with the other Chairperson/Vice-Chairperson and the Local organisers as well, so I would consult with them and of course with the other Bodies that are involved in the Agora process.

Until now, the programme of the Agora has been in a way that one slot is for AR, one for PM, one for Updates etc. This makes it impossible to listen to all ARs, for example. Do you consider changing the system to make it possible for a person to see all ARs or all PMs etc, depending on interest?

This particular topic has been always in focus by participants of the Agora. It highly depends on the logistics of the event, the requests of locals and European Bodies towards changing the agenda and of course by CIA what is needed to be placed in a Prytanium, and how many parallel sessions can take place, but I would consider checking which improvements could be made in order to allow people participate in more programmes.

In case the Agora will end up to be like Enschede – AKA with some Greek drama people, slurs, backstabbing and offense towards candidates and personal revenges – how would you react to this and which decisions would you make?

I would like to make sure that every side has a possibility to express their opinion, however, I would like to make sure that the boundaries between being opposing or being personal are respected at Agora. The Chair Team has the right to warn people for unacceptable behaviour and in the worst case to take actions against them (such as expulsion from the Agora, which is regulated by the Policy on Banning People in CIA); in the worst case I would be willing to use them.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

A month after Spring AgorAsturias, from the 30th of April until the 3rd of May, a Network Meeting (NWM) will take place in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Thirty lucky participants will get a chance to learn more about the history of AEGEE and get valuable advice about organising quality events. They will also find out about the Action Agenda and about Human Resources. We talked to the NWM Coordinator Ana Drmić, the organising team and to NetCom Ana Potočnik in order to feel a little bit of the Balkan AEGEE spirit before the actual event.

The AEGEEan: First of all, congratulations for having been chosen to be the host of  the upcoming Network Meeting. What motivated you to apply?

AEGEE-Zagreb: Since we have a lot of new and highly motivated members, we decided to give them a chance to find their role through practice being guided by experienced members whose knowledge will be helpful. Being the organiser, rather than a participant would help us acquire useful organisational skills for the future. Organising this Network Meeting would also make our antenna more active by motivating new members to participate and to learn how to work as a team on a project. We want to place our antenna as visible, highly motivated and experienced in organising European events. Of course, making new connections and friendships with participants from other locals would help us make the AEGEE spirit grow.

Tell us something about the organising team. Who is the Main Coordinator? Can we expect any helpers from AEGEE-Zadar considering the well-known cooperation with the members of that antennae?

The organising team consists of eight members, including the new ones, but also the experienced ones. The entire board takes part in the organising team and the Main Coordinator is our current treasurer, Ana Drmić. Although all the help is welcomed, we will have enough organisers and helpers for this event, but we would be happy to host our friends from Zadar as participants.

Do you have a fundraising strategy you are going to use and are you getting any form of support from the University of Zagreb?

At the moment we are not getting support from the University of Zagreb, but we are still negotiating. We will do corporate fundraising and we have already started applying for grants.

Why do tourists find Zagreb worth visiting and what does the social program include?

Since Zagreb is a historical town, the centre of culture with lots of happenings and crazy nightlife, we are sure that it will be an attractive destination to visit, especially at this time of the year. Participants can easily come to Zagreb by plane, train or bus, because there are several connections every day from all the capital cities in the area. Except for the European night, we will also provide city tours, visiting famous attractions and  night clubs.

What about the program of the event? Can you reveal the main goal and share some ideas you have already come up with? Have you already appointed the trainers?

Ana Potočnik: We are still developing the program. Like in the past, the Network Commission and Comité Directeur came up with some very interesting sessions from which locals will benefit a lot. We allocated a lot of time for sharing best practices and other sessions where locals can get to know each other and plan common activities. We will be tackling common problems of my locals and get into HR strategy together with the HR Director, Ivan Bielik. I am also in contact with some projects and Policy officers to make sure participants get to know the thematic AEGEE is working on and hopefully be inspired to organise theatrical events also in their locals and get active in European bodies.

Why should people apply for the NWM? Do you have any new ideas for motivating the members of the Balkan locals on both the local and European levels?

Ana Potočnik: Simply because it is going to be awesome! We are preparing a very diverse program with a lot of interesting and interactive sessions on how to improve thematic and organisational work of the locals. Together with my SubComomission team and Ivan we will make sure participants will not be bored during the day… and during the night. I don’t think there is a better recipe for boosting our motivation than the Balkan AEGEE spirit.

What does the emotional title “Million hearts, one soul” mean to you and who came up with the name?

AEGEE-Zagreb: The organising team came up with lots of ideas for the name of this event but from the moment we reached this one, it was clear to everyone that it was the one. Zagreb is called the “city of a million hearts” and the licitar heart [decorated heart shaped biscuits made of sweet honey dough popular in Croatia, ed.]  is one of its most recognisable symbols. On the other hand, the title symbolises also the community of a lot of members who think and act like one and it is what we are trying to achieve, to bond members of AEGEE and unite them in their actions.

Can we expect more statutory events hosted by the AEGEE-Zagreb? We have heard rumours about organising an European Planning Meeting (EPM) one day. Is that true?

Yes, it is true. The idea was proposed by the current President, Zvonimir Canjuga, and the Ex-President, Silvija Perić, during European Boards’ Meetin (EBM) Valletta in 2013. For us, this is a slow process because we want to motivate our members and give them organising experience by organising NWMs and Summer University events. Also EPM is one of the biggest and most important events and we want to have a good team that can handle such responsibility. But, with the right guidance, AEGEE-Zagreb will soon be ready for this challenge and we will apply for EPM 2017. 

What plans does the current board of AEGEE-Zagreb have for the future? Are you going to organise a Summer University this year?

This year we decided not to organise a Summer University because we want to focus more on motivating our members to take an active role in AEGEE, so our focus is on organising some local trainings to make it happen. However, the experience of organising the Network Meeting will help us prepare for other events of which one will most definitely be Summer University next year.

If you have anything more to add, please do.

We are looking forward to every application and are encouraging everyone to apply for this amazing event!

Written by Ivana Mijanac, AEGEE-Beograd

Miguel Gallardo Albajar, former Comité Directeur member, Carmen María López, former Network Commissioner, Pablo Hernández, Policy Officer and former President are just some of the names immediately crossing our mind when we think about this amazing local. Another interesting fact is that two members of AEGEE-Alicante, Jorge Sánchez Hernández and Pablo Palazón have founded new contacts in Dresden and Manchester. For all these and many more reasons, The AEGEEan tried to reveal the secrets of their success by talking to Melissa Carreres and Mar Valero, current board members, and Sora Chung, current Subcommissioner to NetCom Olga Rivero Menéndez.

The AEGEEan: Tell us something about the history of AEGEE-Alicante. When was the local founded? What makes you stand out from other antennae?

AEGEE-Alicante: It was founded in 2002, becoming an antenna in 2003. What makes us unique is that we work differently than other antennas, we are a group of friends who work in a singular way, AEGEE-Alicante is someway known for great events. As Lucius Annaeus Seneca once said: “It is quality rather than quantity that matters.”

How many active members do you have? We know many of them are active on the European level. Is it hard to motivate them to work on the local level too?

We have around 30 active members and, as you pointed out, some of them are active on the European level, too. Sometimes, it is hard to combine the local and European level, because both of them require a lot of time, but these members are motivated enough and manage to also work hard on the local level. It is a pleasure to have so many people involved on the European level because their achievements and knowledge help AEGEE-Alicante a lot to grow as an antenna.

Do you have any special activities for team building or traditional local events you want to share with Network?

Our philosophy for a good team is that it has to be formed by friends or at least by people who get along well. We are a big diverse group with lots of things in common, often proposing informal meetings and different activities just because we want to meet up. A traditional event is our symbolic Christmas dinner, which is very special for us since it is the opportunity for most of us to meet. We have some members who are living abroad and Christmas is the perfect time to come back home and the best opportunity for AEGEE-Alicante members to gather. During the last Christmas dinner, we were with almost 40 members, and it was awesome!

This is the second year you are organising the Buddy Program. Please tell us what the main aim of the project is and what the program means to your local?

We are organizing an edition every semester, and we are currently working hard on the fourth edition.The Buddy Program is a mentorship program whose aim is to provide support to international students by pairing them with local students, who help them to settle in during their stay in Alicante. The program is offered to all students, not only to AEGEE members. The University of Alicante collaborates with us, contacting and offering the program to all the international students. At the beginning, we only had a small group of 25 internationals but during the last edition we managed to have 260 matches. The Buddy Program has brought lots of benefits to our antenna, such as gaining more visibility and improving the institutional relationships with the university. Besides that, some of the local students have become members of AEGEE-Alicante and what is more important; we acquired loads of experience and knowledge by working on the program.

First of all, congratulations for the 2nd best Summer University of 2014. Can you tell us something about that experience? What are your plans for the next SU?

Mar Valero: Personally, it was one the most amazing experiences of my life. I was very enthusiastic about the project, all thanks to Rocío Calvente, the Incoming Responsible and with motivation, hard-work and a team willing to do it,  the results show that we did not do it that bad, right? For the next Summer University, we would like “newbies” to take over. We think it is a good opportunity for them to learn about the organisational part, but the most experienced members will be helping for sure!

AEGEE-Alicante is famous for its creating awareness for charities. On the Human Rights Day and International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women you shared pictures on social media. Do you have any more ideas for raising awareness of similar issues on the European level?  

Last November we participated in a cycling meeting to defend the fights against climate change and the poles melting. We also participated in a blood donation marathon that was held by the University of Alicante.  Furthermore, AEGEE-Alicante is going to donate 20% of the sales of their promotional t-shirts to beneficial projects. Our first donation was 50€ for the Election Observation Project of Moldova. We really love doing this kind of activities; you get more than you give.  We try to collaborate by means of small contributions. And sometimes we say: Make others change by your example!

AEGEE-Nijmegen has lots of interesting upcoming plans! After having organised a very successful Summer University with AEGEE-Enschede and getting their members involved in some AEGEE-Europe projects, the local has been working hard to bridge the gap with the European level by establishing a committee for that and, furthermore, organising a Network Meeting, which will take place in November.

For this reason, our team is awarding the Dutch local as our Member of the Month of August! The AEGEEan has asked Isa Beukema, secretary of AEGEE-Nijmegen, about the secrets of the local and their future plans.

The AEGEEan: Tell us a bit about your local: when was it founded and how many members does it have? What about active ones?
Isa Beukema: AEGEE-Nijmegen was founded in 1986 by Bart Kruitwagen. Every now and then he still drops by at our office. At the end of the year we had 195 members and in September we start with 132 members, so on average we have about 160 members per year. This year we had about 60 active members who made it possible to organize a lot of amazing activities varying from exchanges to lectures about the situation in Ukraine.

What do you think makes your local special?
That we are very strong at the local level. We organize a lot of activities in Nijmegen and almost every week there is an activity organised by the board and/or our active members for the members. People come from all kinds of studies ranging from law to chemistry. This makes our members a mix of very different people, but I think that it is also the strength of our members. Next to this, we have a committee focused on acting, performing a big play yearly. Within the Network that definitely is what makes us special.

You organised a Summer University with AEGEE-Enschede, what was the topic of the event?
The theme was the Dutch Rainbow: Hitchhike past the Hightlights of Holland. During our Summer University we introduced them to hitchhiking and we also wanted to let them think about the situation of LGBT’s in their country and start a discussion about it. Next to this, we wanted to introduce our participants to the Dutch culture and all its typical aspects.

And which have been, according to you, the highlights of your SU?
There were so many highlights but I will mention a few (smiles). For one, the celebration of the Dutch holiday Sinterklaas, where we ate Dutch food such as pepernoten and they got to meet the real ‘Sinterklaas’ and ‘Zwarte Piet’ and everybody bought presents for each other. Or the day trip to The Hague where the participants got to see the Dutch House of Parliament and even took a swim in the North Sea (only the die hards, because the sea was freezing cold at the moment ;)). Or the party in a gay bar in Utrecht, where at the end all the people had left and we had an amazing time with all the SU people. We even developed a new sport: noodle fighting. I can continue, but I think the article will be too long.

Did you find any difficulties during the organisation of the SU? How did you overcome them?
In general we had very little difficulties with the SU. We had an amazing main organiser this year and almost everything was already arranged as much as possible when the SU started. I think the most problems were between the organisers of the SU. But everyday we had a moment that everyone had the chance to say what they had on their chest and I think that solved most of the problems.

What about the Network Meeting you plan to organise in November, why did you decide to apply?
We have wanted to organise a bigger European event for a long time. Every year we organise a Summer University, but since more is always better – here comes the NWM Nijmegen!

What can participants expect from the sessions? And the social programme?
We have planned on doing discussions on the Agora outcome, and how to apply them to you local. There will be room for sharing your best practices and also workshops on personal motivation. Besides that, we will also have workshops about European level bodies and the Action Agenda/Strategic Plan. We have also planned a city tour and obviously there will be a European Night!

Many of your members are starting to get involved in the European level, how do you promote it among your members?
Since the end of last college year, we have a new committee. The people in this committee are our masterminds on European level and the ones reaching for and planning the NWM. This committee also actively promotes AEGEE-Europe’s Working Groups, Committees, Events, and so forth.

Which other plans does AEGEE-Nijmegen have for this term?
For this term we have planned many things. Not only the NWM, but also another team of enthusiastic SU organisers is getting ready. The new board is getting their knowledge transfer as you read and they are getting ready for many more exchanges, trips, hitchhiking contests and so forth.

The AEGEEan has been interviewing several locals throughout the year for theirs outstanding achievements. Some of them have organised big events, like Statutory Events or European schools. Others have been rather small locals in the Network who have made big accomplishments. However, there are other locals which have been regularly organising both local and European events throughout the year and have traditionally been very active antennae in our Network.

AEGEE-Kraków’s current board

One of the latter locals is AEGEE-Kraków, with a lot of active members both in the local and European level and well-known around the Network for having organised a wide range of high-quality events. The activity for AEGEE-Kraków has not stopped since last April, with the organisation of an AEGEE Business Conference, a Model United Nations, a Management Training Course and a Travel Summer University.  The AEGEEan has interviewed the president, Ela Krótka, in order to get to know better AEGEE-Kraków’s secrets.

Please, tell us a bit about your local. When was it found, and how many members does it have? And how many are active?

AEGEE-Kraków was reactivated in 2000 by the students of Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland. Since the early beginning, the members of our local were very active what made us a strong antennae in just a few years. Our local has a good reputation in Kraków, this allows our members to work in well-known companies after graduating their universities, but also during their studies. Nowadays, we have about 130 members of which the majority is active.

What do you think makes AEGEE-Kraków so special?

The people, of course! All of us are like a big family – we know each other well, we love spending time together. We go to all the projects like NWMs or Agorae in about 30 people what makes us very motivated. We feel the AEGEE-spirit all the time, we do not forget why our organisation is so great and important. New people are warmly welcomed and they feel a part of the group instantly. The members are the ones who create and run our organisation and they are the most important – everything is for them and from them.

We know that there are several working groups within AEGEE-Kraków. How are they organised?

We have two sorts of groups – project and working groups. Working groups carry their tasks all the time in order to take care of our antenna. They are the PR Working Group, FR Working Group, HR Working Group, Culture Working Group, International Politics Working Group and IT Working Group. Our members have the possibility to get knowledge of the topic they are interested in when they work in the groups above. Later, they join some “project working groups”, where they can put into practice the knowledge they earnt. Project working groups are made to organise special events. Our members work in teams using their abilities and showing the strenght of our organisation!

From the TSU “Think different: Get out of your comfort zone!”

In May and June you have organised many activities and events. What is the secret of succeeding in organising so many?

I would say that passion is a key factor for organising successful events. We are a welcoming and open-minded group, with common ideas and ways of thinking, these characteristics help us to create something dynamic. We are always flexible and take everyone’s point of view into consideration. Members listen to each other and reach an agreement together. Everything is like a chain of creativity and we never break it. We realise that all of us are needed and what we do is for a whole organisation, not just for one person. Mutual motivation and working in groups create a strong bond amongst all members. All of that causes good projects and the feeling that we want more and more!

We know you recently organised an “AEGEE-Business Conference”. What can you tell us about it?

The aim of the AEGEE-Business Conference “Close the deal!” was to create a platform of co-operation between members of students’ organisations and business. It was our intention to give the participants practical information on how to make their student projects more professional, how to interact and engage with partners and sponsors, and also how to present themselves properly. The training conference was followed by a networking meeting where every attendee could expand their social circle. The participants gathered knowledge about building a network through business contacts, cooperating with partners and investors, and developing practical abilities.

The topics of the conference ranged from self-presentation, including elevator speeches, networking as a tool for communication and building networks of contacts through, interacting with stakeholders in CSR, establishing dialogue between business and students recommendations, business etiquette, ethical sales and negotiations, Cialdini’s art of persuasion, and humor in business and sales.

The Conference was met with resounding success – the number of applications exceeded the participants limit by 50. Participants included 100 representatives of 52 student organizations and academic clubs from all over Poland (from Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Łodź, Wrocław, Kraków etc.) and several other associations.

What about the Model of United Nations organised in late May? Which topics were covered this year?

AEGEE-Kraków’s Model of United Nations was an international interactive conference. Every participant had a chance to represent a country (member of UN) and discuss global political and economic issues. The main goal of the conference was to promote the knowledge about the role of the UN in the modern world and its engagement in solving international problems. The conference was a great opportunity to develop diplomatic skills. This year the main topic was the crisis in Ukraine. Twenty young people from every corner of Europe were debating and exchanging opinions regarding the current situation in Ukraine.

Which were the highlights of this event?

The highlights of this AEGEE MUN definitely were three things. First of all, the UN simulation which included lively discussions, numerous alliances, unexpected twists, sleepless nights, hundreds of hours of hard work. Other highlights include the City Game, the nocturnal sightseeing of Kraków, and the Diplomatic Party, which was a simulation of a diplomatic banquet. During this part of the event participants had a chance to see how unofficial talks really looks like.

AEGEE-Kraków has also organised a training course related to Management. Which was the aim, and who were the trainers?

We organize Management Training Course twice a year. It’s aimed to provide young people with knowledge of PR, FR and Team Management as well as communication skills: public speaking and negotiations. It is very useful for our members as it prepares them for future challenges. Every graduate of this course is prepared to coordinate a project or working group in AEGEE. The trainers work in the related fields and provide real case scenarios, furthering the preparation for future projects. This gives the course a high standard and allows the participants to develop their inner managers. Each MTC-course is a three day long period of hard work and new experiences are guaranteed.

And in order to achieve so many things, how do you motivate your members to be active on the local level?

The goal is to give every student an opportunity  to develop, more importantly, an opportunity to relax, find new friends and share opinions. As a HR manager, the main focus is on creating a good ambiance for every member and participant through motivation and generating passion. Each member is different and possesses different qualities and as a HR manager the role is to appropriate each challenge to the individual’s aspirations.

Some AEGEE-Kraków members at Agora Patra

You have also several members involved on the European level. How do you “bridge” the gap between local and EU level?

Since some time our members are interested in EL. For us, it is very important to make AEGEE-Kraków members aware of achievement and expansion possibilities into European Level. There are many opportunities to develop ourselves, and noteworthy, anyone can work on EL from the local area. We believe that this year Cracovians will get good and trustworthy information regarding EL from CD member and AEGEE-Kraków member Ola Kluczka who is well-equipped for the task.

Hopefully, in the nearest future European structures will be supported by next AEGEE-Kraków members.

Does your local have any future plans?

Every organisation should have a realistic plan for the future! For the upcoming academic year we are planning to organize 16 events, few of them through EL. Projects are the basis of every unit and all individuals involved develop themselves and their thought processes. We conscientiously increase the amount of members and diversity of AEGEE. Fundraising and interacting with more universities are two of the many focuses we have established for the next step. The future is looking bright for AEGEE, we keep expanding and growing and if the sky is the limit, we are approaching space.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

The last Member of the Month of July left many exceptional nominations and AEGEE members that stood out – one of them, Laia Garcia Montufo, is currently President of AEGEE-Tarragona, member of the Pool of Representatives and Liaison Officer towards the United Nations.

Laia has been nominated due to her involvement in several youth platforms. Moreover, she is now fully absorbed in the Travel Summer University organised by AEGEE-Tarragona and AEGEE-Valencia, which is due to start on the 15th of August. And still, she is currently working on her thesis, as she has studied Architecture and Urban Planning with a minor in Sustainable Development.

Presenting a message from the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon at the   Autumn Agora Zaragoza

Like many other members in our Network, Laia joined AEGEE right after her post-Erasmus blues. “Erasmus is a lifestyle, which I suppose many AEGEEans know. During my exchanges I got to know a lot of people around the world, I made friends, I travelled and I learnt how to live on my own or with other nations in a foreign country”. But Erasmus also has a difficult side, as she says: “After returning, I was missing the international vibe so much that life back home seemed utterly boring. Soon I realized that in my city there were also a lot of Erasmus students, so I started looking for them and I found out about the existence of a group who helped foreign students. Of course, I joined it right away!”.

And it was not long until she got in touch with the European level of AEGEE. It was back in May 2012, at the final conference of the ‘Where Does Europe End?’ project in Utrecht. According to her, it might be the best event she has ever been to: “I remember thinking to myself: I am skipping a full week of classes before the finals… but after a while I just understood there are times when the benefits of skipping class are greater than the negatives as I was actually learning more than at the university! These trainers taught me how powerful Non Formal Education (NFE) can be and that learning experience triggered in me a strong desire to become active at European level”.

The Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and its situation

Laia has been very involved in the past year with the Spanish Youth Council (CJE in its acronym, from Consejo de la Juventud de España), mostly in the Structured Dialogue process, an instrument to ensure that the opinion of young people is taken into account when defining youth-related policies of the European Union by bringing together young people and the policy makers across the EU. She was involved at the national consultation in Palencia last January, and she was also chosen as Spanish National Youth Delegate to attend the EU Youth Conference in Thessaloniki in March.

On holidays!

“Unfortunately, the Senate has just given green light to its closing as it has definitively approved the text of the draft law concerning the Rationalization of Public Sector, which regulates the closing of the Spanish Youth Council with the support of the comfortable majority of the People’s Party and the abstention or the vote against from the rest of the opposition groups”. Laia explains about the situation concerning the CJE, which was threatened of being closed by the Spanish government. However, she adds, “at the very last moment, two amendments proposed by the People’s Party and endorsed by the rest of the parliamentary groups were passed, where two important points concerning the regulation of the CJE were modified, so the framework improved with regard to the initial proposal”.

She adds that, luckily, none of the more than 60 organisations that are involved in the CJE have given up: “A new framework must be found, but until the creation of the new organism that replaces the CJE, we must be careful not to have a period of time without a platform that canalizes the youth participation.”

The World Youth Conference in Sri Lanka

Moreover, last May Laia took part at the World Youth Conference in Sri Lanka, where young people from over 170 countries gathered together with Ministers of Youth from around the world, high-level officials from the UN and other civil society organisations and the private sector, around the topic of the next development agenda beyond the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which expire in 2015. The outcome of the conference was the Colombo Declaration on Youth.

According to Laia, for the first time youth representatives were included as equal stakeholders: “In my opinion, WCY 2014 was unique with regard to the degree of youth influence over official negotiations. Rather than youth meetings in advance of negotiations and producing separate outcome documents, this conference produced a “joint declaration” endorsed by both youth and governments. It was definitely a compromise between these two ends: but an important one at that, because now we have a commitment from governments to implement the recommendations enshrined in this declaration”.

She adds that, as a result, “the declaration has strong language on youth engagement: for example it calls for the establishment of a permanent youth department within the United Nations with representations in member countries to support and follow up local youth programs and also calls on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish a permanent forum on youth, for youth and governments to facilitate a sustained dialogue including on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda”.

3rd Council of Members of the Great Silk Way

The Great Silk Way organisation

If all of her activities and involvement have not been impressive enough, Laia recently became representative of the Great Silk Way International Youth Union, an organisation established in 2012 in Azerbaijan which connects more than 30 youth-led organisations from Asia, Europe and North Africa based on and designed for strengthening intercultural dialogue, cross-border cooperation and increasing role of youth in these issues on a global level.

She was elected as the focal point of GSW in Spain. These focal points are youth organizations or active young individuals “who coordinate the activities of GSW in that particular country. This means we ensure participation of local young people in international projects organized by GSW, make sure to disseminate information on opportunities (youth exchanges, volunteering, internships etc.) that can be useful for young people”, Laia explains. “In addition to this, the focal point has the right to initiate and coordinate national or regional level projects and events with the support of GSW. Basically we become the voice of GSW in our country at the same time feedbacking on the needs of local young people to be then reflected in decisions taken by the organization on high level”.

…and still, time to devote for AEGEE!

AEGEE-Tarragona members at the Agora

Laia’s involvement in youth platforms doesn’t stop her from being very active in AEGEE. As president of AEGEE-Tarragona, she is currently very busy organising the Travel Summer University in cooperation with AEGEE-Valencia. She has done a big task by promoting the European level in her antenna, since there are some AEGEE-Tarragona members that have become active in bodies such as the Language Working Group, the Eastern Partnership Project and the Action Agenda Coordination Committee. “I try my best to minimize the gap between my local and the European level. Therefore, I keep the members updated about all the relevant information on the many opportunities our association offers throughout our local meetings and social networks”.

According to her, AEGEE-Tarragona has around 30 members, “but the core team of the most active ones is smaller, so it is easy for me to be in contact with them and try to motivate everyone to contribute. Also, the fact that I am active on the European Level  makes things a bit easier when it comes to promotion as interested members can always come to me and ask for personal advice. And you know what? Some people just need a little push!”

When asked about her future plans, Laia says she is currently finishing her tasks as Liaison Officer towards the UN and the Pool of Representatives, but she plans to keep involved both in the local and in the European level. “Wait, I forgot something!”, she adds. “I do know one of my next steps in AEGEE! After having organized two Summer Universities and one Summer Event… I think next year will be about time to apply for my first Summer University as a participant!”.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

AEGEE-Oviedo is one of the oldest antennae in AEGEE and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. They have won different prizes this year and the antenna also has many members active on the European level of AEGEE. Therefore, The AEGEEan took the time to interview the board to hear about what makes this antenna special.

AEGEE-Oviedo was founded on 21.12.1988 by four students of the University of Oviedo. The people of the current board believe it was  Kike Riesgo (who was later part of one of the first Comités Directeurs), Jacinto Braña, Miguel Porrúa and Luis Villa who started the antenna. At the beginning, AEGEE-Oviedo was so successful that it had over 1000 members (while now there are 119) and was in charge of printing and publishing the NewsBulletin read  by AEGEE members all over Europe. This is what makes AEGEE-Oviedo special to the current board members. They are proud of the importance the antenna had back in the beginning.

Nowadays AEGEE-Oviedo is managed by a great team that they themselves are very proud of. A team of eight people working together and trying to do their best. This is what makes AEGEE-Oviedo very special in 2013. Furthermore, the antenna has a large number of beloved “oldies” (old members) who are not living in the city anymore, but are always available to help. They help AEGEE-Oviedo and are always willing to offer a piece of advice, which is highly appreciated by the board. The Main Coordinator of the 25th Anniversary event later this year, Laura López, and some of the Board members – Agustín Querejeta (President), Olga Rivero (Vice-President), Gerardo García (PR) and Alba Laguna (Secretary) – contributed to this interview, informing you what makes their antenna in Oviedo different.

How many members do you have? Are many of them active?

Nowadays, we are 119 members and around 25 of them are active. It is not a great figure, but we are on our way. We only hope to continue growing each day and keep doing our best, step by step.

You recently elected the new board of your antenna, how have the first two months been for the new board?

We are doing quite well indeed. We all make a great and diverse team. We have a couple of board members active on the European level, “old”-board members with previous experience on their fields and newbie-board members full of energy. We are working a lot on our daily projects, for instance activities organized by the Erasmus Team (ET) and Local Activities Responsible, and as well as on bigger projects, such as 25th Anniversary and New Years event (NYE).

How do you make sure in your antenna that the new board gets sufficient knowledge transfer?

This is always a difficult achievement to fulfill. Our old board members are always willing to help and advise the new ones. Let’s say we have a sort of all year round knowledge transfer period. Beside for some board positions such as ET and Secretary, we have documents which comprise information and know-how from previous years. In spite of everything, it is true that sometimes we don’t get to achieve this as well as we would like to.

You have a lot of members living in Gijón as well. How do you involve members from the two cities in the activities of your antenna?

Actually we also have members from Avilés (the third biggest city in Asturias according to population). Anyway, we try to be fair and adapt to what’s better for the members regarding the meetings because some of them study in Oviedo (and viceversa). However there is always a way to find time to talk. Also meetings take place in both cities, Gijón and Oviedo, so everyone can go from time to time. Probably the only big inconvenient is members who are not from Oviedo normally cannot attend what’s organized in the evening during the week. But there are always exceptions.

You have members very active in AEGEE and on the European level, how do you promote the European level to your members?

Normally members who are already active on the European level motivate some other members. It’s like a chain.

Why do you think it is important for them to be active not only on Local level?

That’s something each one chooses: normally when a member is motivated, he/ she tends to get involved in bigger stuff. We celebrate it because we consider this makes us a well-known antenna in Europe, even though we come from a small region. We are also happy that those members who are active on the European level do not forget where they started from and help at the Local level as much as possible.

You won The AEGEEans Choice Award for best event, what do you think it takes to organize a fantastic event?

Motivation, without any doubt. Motivation is the main key for getting everything you want to. Furthermore, the main responsible of the event is an “old” and experienced member (the results were amazing, as you could see! ). It was a great project and an awesome team. In spite of the Choice Award for best event we also got to win the Best Photo Award of 2012, in a contest organized by Events Committee last year. One of our participants, Tereza Tokmajyan from AEGEE-Yerevan, sent them our best photo and it got chosen as the best one. Of course this is not only about rewards, because our best gift was our team. Everyone got on well from the very first moment and it made things much easier. We had fun together, we learned from each other and we became friends. Relationships that still last!

What have you been doing in 2013 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of AEGEE- Oviedo?

Celebrations haven’t taken place yet! The 21th of December is the official date of our anniversary and we will organize an official and formal event, which we will gather as many old members as possible. We will also invite university representative, authorities, etc. We are still working on it. Besides this formal celebration, we are organizing a NYE Event, so we can celebrate our 25thAnniversary with more AEGEEans from all over Europe.

What made you decide to organize a New Year Event this year?

Remember this is not only about NYE. This is a birthday party! When we thought about celebrating our 25th Anniversary with university, authorities and people who have supported us somehow, the idea to celebrate with members from all over Europe also came to our minds. We wanted to share this important date with our partners and friends, have a good time and say goodbye to the year all together.

What is special about this event? Why should people go?

As I already said, there is something to celebrate besides the New Year! We hope this event will be unique: in charge is our Treasurer (Laura López) and she is doing a great job, finding a nice house to stay in (it’s always a luxury not to sleep on the floor at an AEGEE event), organizing activities and many many surprises that are waiting for our guest . We really hope our participants to be as happy for our birthday as we already are. Reminder for our participants: you can find us on Facebook and if you have any doubt about signing yup don’t hesitate and contact us

What are the plans of your antenna for 2014?

To continue working hard, improving every day and who knows, maybe celebrate our next birthday! Some of our members are really motivated and they are thinking about getting involved in some projects at European level, so we give them all our support and send them our best wishes.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

While everybody is preparing for Agora Zaragoza, there is another important meeting taking place directly after the big statutory event, namely the European Level Meeting. It took place for the first time one year ago after Agora Budapest, and The AEGEEan used the opportunity to interview Beata Matuszka from the Comité Directeur (CD) about the idea as she was the one who developed it.

When did you get the idea of a European Level Meeting?

Beata: The idea came to me when I was still a Network Commissioner. As a NetCommie, you need to have a complete and perfect overview of the whole European level, you need to know the responsibilities and activities of each and every body, since whenever your locals need support, you are the one who can advise them or redirect them to the relevant body. It is best if you know the people on the European Level, since it is much easier to get in contact with them, ask for help for your locals, and basically this is where the idea was born: I wanted to provide a platform for networking and to facilitate the future communication of the AEGEE members.

Budapest was the kick-off, the trial version of the event and (maybe not so much surprisingly) it was a success, quite a lot of people came, several ideas were born and the people could get to know each other. Beside networking, we have other important aims as well for these European level meetings, such as best practice sharing, working on initiatives together in order to develop our Network.

In Budapest it has been called the Committees’ and Commissions’ meeting because we were thinking to start first with the bodies which are responsible for rather the administrative part of the Network management. In Mannheim the scope became broader and the European level meeting has reached its final form, involving all the Working  Groups, Projects, Committees and Commissions. Even if we had fewer amount of participants after Mannheim, the diversity helped us to reach even better results than in Budapest.

After these events, the one in Zaragoza is very much anticipated. In terms of logistics, I got a great support from the local organisers to organise the one in Budapest and also Mannheim, it’s not different in Zaragoza either. After the open call, we got quite some applications and I’m really glad to see that so many people are interested in strengthening the cooperation and working together to make the European level and AEGEE better! The programme will be drafted with the help of the participants, the topics which are important to be discussed according to them have been already collected and Fabian Brüggemann, who was moderating the discussion in Mannheim, has also been giving us great support in developing the programme to get the best result out of these two days.

Diana Tupchiienko, president of the Juridical Commission also agrees that the European Level meeting is important.  “It is time to put aside all misunderstandings and deliberate on the ways how to improve the work of AEGEE as one, undividable mechanism. During these kind of meetings you can get to know people who are or may turn out to be the future of our Association, understand others, share their opinions and share wise advices. And it’s great to have a new idea after a rich-flavoured cup of latte and have a plan how to put it into practice after a slice of a cheesecake. It’s definitely a great opportunity to learn!”

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

The election for Member of the Month for July is different than the others. Instead of choosing one member, the honor goes to nine AEGEE members that took part in the Identity meeting in the beginning of July.

Anja Köngeter joined AEGEE-Heidelberg in March 2011 because  she felt like giving something back to international students after her Erasmus and spreading the spirit of tolerance and solidarity among young people from all over the world. Another girl who joined AEGEE a little bit later is Ana Potočnik from AEGEE-Ljubljana, and she has a different story about joining AEGEE than the one you usually hear: “One of my friends decided it is time to find a boyfriend, so she asked me to join her on the meeting for the New Year’s event. I had no idea what AEGEE is, what kind of event they were organizing or for whom, but as a good friend I decided to support her “let’s find me a boyfriend” mission. One and a half year later she has a guy and I have AEGEE”. 

Another new Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) member and Subcommissioner of Network Commissioner Patricia Anthony, Ruta Jankauskaité (AEGEE-Kaunas) was convinced by the former Network Commissioner Karolina Mazetyte to join. “Hers was the most important role, as there was no antenna in my city and AEGEE was something I knew nothing about, but there was something I still do not understand that made me stay”. Another Subcommissioner in Patricia’s team is Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen) and she was also in Brussels for the Identity meeting. She joined AEGEE in 2011 because she liked travelling and she heard about AEGEE a couple of times before, but never took the step to actually become a member. Then she met some people, they told her about an exchange they wanted to do a month later with AEGEE-Budapest, and that convinced her!

Francesca Russo (AEGEE-Padova) has the typical AEGEE story of joining – she joined to take part in a Summer University and she is the one who has been in AEGEE the longest in this group, having joined back in 2006. Ivan Bielik (AEGEE-Brno), an active member who frequently publishes articles in The AEGEEan, has been in AEGEE since the beginning of 2011. He joined because he wanted to become active in some student associations during his university studies. Opportunities that AEGEE offers were, and still are of high interest for him.

Matthijs Overhaal joined AEGEE-Nijmegen in 2010 but is one of AEGEE members that have since changed antennae – he proudly become a part of AEGEE-Tartu. When asking how he joined AEGEE he says: “That is a funny story actually. I just came to live in Nijmegen and basically did not have much social contacts there yet. I would not say that joining AEGEE was a random lucky guess, but all I was looking for was social interaction. I certainly found that!” Mayri Tiido who is also from AEGEE-Tartu has been Member of the Month before as well, and her story can be read in the article that was already published.

Matthijs & Mayri

These members have done many different things in AEGEE, so The AEGEEan asked some of them about their experience in our organisation so far.

Ana: One month after I joined AEGEE I became a board member of AEGEE-Ljubljana. Since then I was the main organiser of Summer University, SUPS, NWM in Ljubljana and helped organise other events in our antenna. This summer I also became Antonija Parat’s Subcommie and now I am member of ACT.

Maria: First of all, I started to do some things on the local level, organise some activities, etc., and I joined the trips. Then I became involved in the establishment of the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), of which I will be Speaker until next October. After a while, I also became a member of Health4Youth project. Next came Agorae, EBM Valletta, Planning Meeting in Poznan, an SU every summer, Network Meetings and some other events. At the moment I am Patricia’s Subcommie taking care of AEGEE-Durham, AEGEE-London, and AEGEE-Sheffield. Last but definitely not least, I am now in the Planning Team.

Maria Arends

Matthijs: For a year I was not present in the European level of AEGEE. I had no idea who/what was important whatsoever and was only (overly) active on the local level. However, things started changing, mainly thanks to Mayri Tiido. She showed me how cool and amazing it is to broaden your horizons, share opinions etc. In the end, it led to the foundation of Health4Youth project, which I and the others are very proud of. In between, I went to Training4Trainers in Warsaw, which turned around everything I believed in. I became a trainer in the Academy, was a trainer in local events, Agorae and European School Summer University (ESSU) Patra.

Francesca: Local level: board member, secretary and now president of my antenna (for the last two years). European level : statistics analysis assistant of Mickey Turati and now Secretary of Human Rights Working Group and Subcommie of Network Commissioner Claudio Armandi.

Ivan: I started on the local level and then after one year spent in the board of AEGEE-Brno, I moved to the European level and became a Speaker of International Politics Working Group, developed my own project – AEGEEDebate, and took part in other smaller activities as well.

What drives you to be active in AEGEE?

Maria: A gazillion things! First of all, the people. You work with so many other motivated members, and together you feel like you can do something, you can achieve something. That feels wonderful. Besides that, AEGEE is an addiction. Every time I do something with AEGEE, I want more. So in short, I do not know what drives me, but there is a powerful force that I cannot resist! 

Matthijs: Young people are the future and our generation faces so many challenges, not the least of which are health-related. Being an active young citizen makes me feel that I try to help this generation further and add something of myself to it. 

Ana: I love AEGEE because it is something completely different from my studies (biochemistry). Sometimes I need my brain to take a rest from all the molecules and working in AEGEE is always fun. You meet so many interesting people with different backgrounds. What is most important  is that you always learn something new. I was active since the very beginning, so it is the only way I know how to be a member.

Francesca: AEGEE spirit! It is about what AEGEE can give me – meeting really cool people, finding interesting opportunities, having amazing experiences and then inspiring people to show them how cool it is to be active European citizens. I love helping youngsters to feel Europe!

Ivan: Self-development of skills which I cannot develop through formal education and the motivation to change AEGEE for better.

Ruta: Without a doubt, people you meet in European events, because here you learn but not through studying.

What made you interested in taking part in the meeting?

Mayri: I must admit that after attending my first Agora (Alicante 2011) I understood that AEGEE means so many different things to everybody. This made me passionate about what AEGEE is and I have had endless discussions about that with my friends. After hearing at Agora Budapest that there will be an Identity meeting, I knew I had to be there!

Maria: Have you ever tried to explain someone what AEGEE is and what it does? In that case, I think you know! I mean, once I spent an incredible time to try to explain to a friend of mine and I thought, if I as an active member have problems with this, then how is it going for people that are not yet active? How do you even motivate people to join AEGEE?

Matthijs: I followed the process since (almost) the very beginning and have always had my troubles with AEGEE’s identity. Being culturally, socially, politically and geographically diverse is a part of a double-sided medal which can be/is very troublesome. Analysing the opinions of all AEGEEans and drafting conclusions from them only seemed a logical step after that.

Francesca: ‘I’m AEGEE’ – me and all the other 13000 members. I wanted to be one of the AEGEEans who helped develop our association, who took the challenge to do something that was needed: clarify the essence of AEGEE, the things we do not yet have stated in a few words – vision, mission and means. So that every AEGEEan will not have any doubt when asked who we are!

Anja: AEGEE’s need of a consistent and updated identity is obvious – it is difficult to have a “common identity” among all antennae AND to keep the special characteristics of each local at the same time. Since I am writing my Master’s thesis on European identity and I was working in an advertisement company (which also faces the challenge of clarification of identity) I thought that I could help out finding a good result!

Ana: It was the everyday struggle to explain to people what AEGEE is. I wanted to find a common idea about what AEGEE is and “update” our identity to make it clear and simple.

Ruta: The wish to make it clear for myself (as well as everyone else) what AEGEE is (not).

Ivan: Since I joined AEGEE I do not have a clear idea what AEGEE is and what it stands for. That was my initial problem which caused my interest in participating in Identity meeting. I wanted to change this problem and to come up with some ideas.

What was the best part of the event for you?

Mayri: I sort of guessed that it would be a lot of work and that we would most likely run out of time. Although all that was true, I really enjoyed working late with other participants. In between useful discussions we were laughing in tears. I guess that was the best part for me – working hard while having fun.

Maria: I think the group. The group was really motivated and driven and we worked hard together. As it was a serious event, people sometimes get bored, but that did not happen this time. Because we were all motivated to come up with a good result, we all kept each other motivated. 

Matthijs: Not so much a part, but rather the feeling that remains. The feeling of really wanting to finish this meeting successfully, no matter if that meant that we had to work very late. We just could not let go of the things that were unfinished for that day. I will not be the first one to say this, but the feeling of working hard with people just as inspired as you is incredible. Also, I totally rocked charades!

Francesca: It was amazing to be a part of the process and to feel the commitment and passion everyone was putting in it. The best moment was working, facilitated by Ivan, until midnight to start re-arranging the statement of principles because everyone was actively participating and no one was complaining about the duration of the work. I love even how we started the meeting, with an exercise: ‘explain AEGEE in one minute’. I found it surprising and interesting to see that everyone has their own and often very different way to do it.

Ivan: Best moment for me was the active participation of every member there during sessions. I did not expect such involvement. Apart from this, I also celebrated my birthday during the event, so that was pleasant for me too.

Anja: I learned so much about group dynamics, project management and really enjoyed visiting the CD house.

Ana: It was definitely working late in the office on the last day. We had a lot of fun working on statements of principles.

Ruta: Night in the CD house without any of CD members in the house!

Some of the members have followed up on the event after being in the Belgian capital:

Francesca: After the event I went to the Leadership Summer School (LSS) and then we had our Summer University. Every time I had the chance, I explained to all AEGEEans I met (mostly during LSS) what we did and why. Soon a paper will be sent to everyone to understand better everything we did and it will be easier to explain!

Maria: We have finished the draft documents, discussed a strategy on how to implement it, and now I am really looking forward to start with the preparations for the Agora. I hope you will all like it!

The topic of AEGEE identity continues not only for these nine people but for the whole organisation. It is certain that their participation in this weekend meeting in the CD house has contributed a lot to the topic and The AEGEEan congratulates them once more for being Members of the Month.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

N.B. Jorge Miguel, AEGEE-Valladolid as well as Antonio Sanna are also chosen as Member of the Month but chose not to take part in the interview.