It has been one of the most awaited launches. A few months after the creation of a new project in our Focus Area ‘Spreading Europtimism’ was announced, the Network was eager to know more about an initiative that aims to engage our members and other young Europeans in a discussion on the future of Europe.

We are now slowly getting to know further details: “Your vision for EUrope” will be the official name of the project, and the team members are working hard on planning their activities and a campaign on informing about the impact of the European Union in our daily lives. The AEGEEan spoke to the Project Manager, Lara Killius (AEGEE-München) about the first steps of this newcomer in our Network.

The Project Team meeting in Brussels

The AEGEEan: Lara, you are the Project Manager of the upcoming “Your vision for EUrope” team – Why did you decide to join?
Lara: For some time, I have been very interested in joining a European project. When I heard during Autumn Agora Cagliari 2014 that the Comité Directeur had plans to start this project, I was immediately interested. I think the subject is extremely important, since even in AEGEE there are so many people that don’t know how the European Union actually works, and especially how they can participate. I think everyone should know how the European Union (EU) is influencing our lives and how they can bring their opinion to the higher levels. I would like this project to trigger an active discussion about the EU and motivate people to express their opinion and willingness to believe in it. At the moment, many things are changing in the EU and it is important that the people don’t forget the basic idea and all the positive things it is bringing. I think this project is coming at exactly the right time.

What is going to be the aim of the project?
“Educate young people about the EU and encourage an informed discussion on its current and future state in order to empower them to propose constructive solutions to pressing European issues, as well as to reconnect them to the European integration process”.

It is very important for us to trigger discussions and to make young people think about the EU and to speak up. And an important base for this is education. We would like to bring the voice of the young people close to the EU policy-makers. For example, one way to do this would be to reduce the gap between youth and EU policy-makers by facilitating a dialogue between them.

What does “Europtimism” mean to you?
For me, Europtimism doesn’t mean to be the biggest fan of the EU or to support without exception everything that the EU is doing. For me, being europtimistic means to believe in the basic idea of the EU, meaning to have a Europe with open borders in which we can move freely and to believe that the different countries should help and support each other. A big part of this is also to deal with issues and criticise in a constructive way, because one can criticise actions of the EU without being against the EU itself. I think especially now, everyone, but mostly the youth in Europe, should stand together and show that we still support one another. I also love all the different cultures we have in Europe and I think a united Europe means in no way to give up cultures or traditions, it is much more about keeping your own traditions while being open for others as well.

Which activities do you plan to carry and how would you like to involve the Network?
Is it very important for us to not only work together with antennae in the EU but also with the ones outside of it. The politics of the EU are influencing also the countries around it, and everyone should be informed about how the EU is working. We are planning to create trainings everyone can use. This way, all antennae, also the small ones, can organise events connected to the project. Besides that, we would like to organise two bigger conferences and a campaign, in order to reach even more people. Our team is not complete yet, so a lot of things still have to be defined, since it is important that the whole team stands behind our activities.

Do yo have any plans for the project before Agora Kyïv?
At the moment we try to create the first trainings and, besides that, we would like to apply for funding to make our activities more successful. We are also already planning one campaign so I am sure you will hear from us in the next weeks.

You had your team meeting in Brussels. What can you tell us about it, and about the project team members?
The kick-off was great. I didn’t meet the biggest part of the team personally before and I was very happy to see how enthusiastic everyone was. We were happy that we all had the same ideas about the project and finding an aim we were all happy with was relatively easy. It’s great to work in such a good team and I believe we are all good in what we are doing. Besides that we all live in different countries, some countries that have in general a more positive view about the EU, some from countries in which the basic mood is less good, countries inside the EU and also outside of it. So I think we will be able to cover different views on problems and solutions.

If you want to contact them, check their page on Members Portal or send an email to yourvisionforeurope@aegee.org.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

From the 28^th until the 30^th of May AEGEE-Osnabrück will welcome 45 enthusiastic AEGEEans to participate in their Network Meeting (NWM). Besides a great social program, including a European Night, the participants will also discuss topics like Europtimism. Dorothea Donges, main organiser, tells us more about their plans!

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a bit more about your local first? How many members do you have and what kind of activities do you organise?

Dorothea: We are a relatively small local with around 35 members, but we have managed to increase our numbers by one-third this year in comparison to last year and we are continuing to grow. We are very active, which became visible on the European level when ten of our members went to the last Autumn Agora in Cagliari. One of our main activities is to organize several events for the Erasmus and International students throughout the year. Furthermore, we are planning several great events for the network this year in cooperation with many external partners.

What is the main reason for your local to organize this Network Meeting?

After the last Network Meeting that took place in Osnabrück in 2008, we are motivated to organise yet another big content-based event. In the last few years we focused mainly on Summer Universities and local events. In addition we are happy to be able to offer a platform for discussion and exchange, which we consider one of the core elements of Network Meetings. We are ready to realize this special project with an amazing team here in Osnabrück!

What are your plans for the Network Meeting? What is the main topic?

Apart from the main content of Network Meetings concerning internal organisational topics within AEGEE, we have created a program including several political aspects to motivate participants to rethink their position within Europe. We are planning a great selection of workshops ranging from topics on AEGEE’s advocacy to Europtimism, combined with a great social program in the “city of peace” of Osnabrück. Additionally, we have planned a panel discussion on the topic Rethink your position – European Identity between regionalism and the idea of the United States of Europe.

Why is this Network Meeting interesting for the network?

As mentioned before, this Network Meeting will offer an extraordinary mix of activities concerning internal AEGEE aspects and a political view of AEGEE and Europe today. Therefore it is an ideal platform for exchange between AEGEEans. Not only AEGEEans from our network area, but from all over Europe.

Do you have any plans for the social program?

Our Network Meeting will start with some icebreaking games to make sure that from the first moment we have the best group spirit to start our event. We have planned a city tour in Osnabrück as well as two parties, one of which will be specifically organised for the Network Meeting in a local club. In addition we will be visiting some typical German bars and as you know: every European Event needs a great European Night! We also want to give the participants a longer afternoon break on Saturday in which they can either join us to discover a bit more of Osnabrück or head out on their own.

Who will join the Network Meeting from the Comité Directeur?

Paul Smits, President of AEGEE Europe, will join this NWM.

Who do you have on your organising team?

Andrea Schmelz as Network Commissioner, Carolin Heere and me as Main Organisers, Esther Hillmer as Incoming Responsible, Jan-Hendrik Meyer as Treasurer, Sebastian Röhrich and Svetlana Danchenko as PR Responsibles, Julia Bock as Fundraising Responsible and Greta von Elsner and Rosangel Segovia as Social Program Responsibles.

Are you planning to organise any other great event?

Whilst AEGEE- Europe is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, AEGEE- Osnabrück is having its 25th birthday celebration. For this purpose we are inviting all of our former members and any interested AEGEEans to join us for a day of reconnecting, discussing and celebrating on the 27th of June. In August we are organising a Summer University together with AEGEE- Köln under the motto The PurSUit of happiness! Adventure. Culture. Now. And of course you are all welcome to join our many great and fun local activities!

And last, but not least: why should we apply for your NWM?

The organising team, the board and all the embers of AEGEE Osnabrück are already very excited to welcome you to our beautiful city in May. Don’t miss the chance to participate in such a great and special program and to meet all of us in person. Still any doubts? Rethink your position!

Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede

During Autumn Agora Cagliari, Policy Officers were established as a body of our Network. President Paul Smits and Secretary General  Antonija Parat on behalf of the Comité Directeur presented a proposal to formally establish them in order to set some rules. The proposal was accepted with an overwhelming 94.49% of votes in favour.

The position of Policy Officers was launched in 2012 by the Comité Directeur 2012-2014 to  to express the  views and concerns of the Network and bring them up to the policy level. The Network has now four new Policy Officers who will work for one year on the Focus Areas of the Strategic Plan 2014-2017 (Youth Mobility, Youth Employment, Europtimism and Civic Education). But this is not all. The Comité Directeur (CD) 2014-2015 decided to also address two other topics this year, namely Education and Gender Equality. Six positions were created, but the CD strongly encouraged applicants to develop their ideas on a topic that was not mentioned, but could be important for the Network. A lot of applications suggested the topic of LGBT so the CD decided to appoint a Policy Officer to work on that topic too.

Pablo Hernández Rodríguez, Policy Officer on Youth Participation

For the second year in a row Pablo Hernández Rodríguez willwork as a Policy Officer: “Last year I was Policy Officer on Youth Participation, something that helped me to develop skills to work better on Youth Employability now”, he says. Member of AEGEE-Alicante since 2010, he became active in AEGEE right after Agora Alicante 2011 “having strong references like Miguel”. Being a Policy Officer (PO) for the second year is a spur for Pablo: “I decided to continue as PO mainly because now I’m better prepared to work on this position being in the place where I can contribute the most”. As uncertain as it is nowadays, Employment is a big issue for youngsters and according to Pablo “AEGEE understood its responsibility and put this issue on the stage so, now, what we need to do is to give solutions and support initiatives that make us think positive in this field”. He continues: “I think that young people have to have proper internships and future perspectives in their labour live, something that I want to put a lot of effort into. It’s also very important to look for a solution for the lack of local job opportunities so young people don’t have to go to capital and big cities or abroad but also find job places in their home towns.”

Teo Šarić, Policy Officer on LGBT

Teo Šarić is the Policy Officer on LGBT. Member of AEGEE-Zadar, he got motivated to apply for the position of Policy Officer when he “was a member of the Y vote Bus tour in UK, a campaign to engage First Time Voters in the Elections of the European Parliament in May 2014. We were speaking a lot [about LGBT ed.] with people on the streets about this topic”. LGBT is the suggested topic and for Teo “very important to AEGEE because a lot of young people are feeling insecure and do their “coming out” when they are students. So it’s nice to see that there are people who are interested to help, advice and support you and who are working on the topic in your own association”. Teo has a lot of experience with the topic of LGBT issues, being one of the organisers of the Pride Parade in Split (his hometown) and in Zagreb. “The first gay pride in Split in 2011, where anti-gay protesters were throwing rocks, tin cans, tomatoes, tear gas and glass bottles at the LGBT activists, motivated me to be an activist. It was very sad and emotional to me to watch, sit and do nothing. I had to take actions”. For his work as Policy Officer Teo has a clear idea: “I want to make sure that no one is taken down by the actions, language and attitude of others. It is particularly important that everyone demonstrates mutual respect and avoids any attitude that would be hurtful or dismissive. It is important that we are aware of our own attitudes and actions, and that we are willing to challenge our own prejudices in a constructive and respectful manner”.

Alfredo Sellitti, Policy Officer on Youth Mobility

In the aftermath of the deletion of Visa Freedom Working Group, visa issues and youth mobility have never been so important. The Policy Officer on Youth Mobility is Alfredo Sellitti, member of AEGEE-Salerno since 2006. “Youth Mobility is a wide concept. If we want to bring it to our interest, I would say that youth mobility is a great (if not the first) engine to build up a real European civic sense, in the broadest possible meaning”, Alfredo says. “This tool is probably the most powerful to increase cross-border competencies that will influence, besides the natural effect on personal development, a civic development and boost the economy by bringing new experiences and know-how in the system”. When asked why he applied for such a position, he stated that he “has always been interested in the policy making field, and when I was in CD I realised how little support we had from the Network, as the organisation had plenty of great ideas but not a good structure to canalise them. Therefore, when I saw the open call, I thought it was a great opportunity to keep  working on something I like and help AEGEE to improve its structure to better lobby for our interests”

Turgut Tosun, Policy Officer on Civic Education

Former president of AEGEE-Ankara, and member of the local since 2007, Turgut Tosun is the Policy Officer on Civic Education. “After spending years in AEGEE and gaining lots of experience, I decided to transfer what I learnt from my journey to other motivated AEGEE members”, he says. “It was my turn to help youth workers and activists with a subject that I trust myself. Then, I found myself writing my application for being a Policy Officer”. Even if we are living in democratic countries, there are many other theories that Europe is going through an anti-democratic process. “I believe that AEGEE will use civic education for strengthening and supporting members to be active citizens so that we can help Europe be more democratic and have young people who are aware of it”. Says Turgut, “In AEGEE, I think that we can integrate civic education in our local or regional training courses in order to raise the awareness of active citizenship and democracy among our members”.

Sofia Lobakina, Policy Officer on Education

One of the two girls elected, is Sofia Lobakina from AEGEE-Voronezh, who is Policy Officer on Education. Very active on the Local Level, this is her first experience on the European level, but she has “the motivation to contribute, a relevant experience to base my contribution on and an eagerness to learn more and develop the topic of Education in AEGEE”. Even if Sofia feels a huge responsibility in presenting the vision of the Network on the topic of Education, she finds that “AEGEE, one of the largest students’ organisation in Europe, is missing a clear basic position on the topic of Education, though we have some successful projects, like Higher Education Days (HED) and Europe in Exchange (EiE)”. She continues: “What is more important, is to advocate non-formal education and informal learning and their future recognition and quality assurance”. In fact, according to her vision, Education “is like a time bomb, the input you make now will be visible only in years. So the boldest experiments should be time-proved. However some things stay clear, high quality and equality are the basic points of it, and education is an always-going process and not just a place, list of courses or diploma”.

Miha Ilc, Policy Officer on Europtimism

Student of European Studies in Ljubljana, but now living in Estonia for his Erasmus, Miha Ilc (AEGEE-Ljubljana) is the Policy Officer on Europtimism. Tightly connected with his field of study, Europtimism is a “wide field, so it is going to be a really challenging task for me, but I’ll do my best. I usually compare it with a mosaic. There are different pieces that compose the whole picture (politics, economy, welfare, taxes etc.). Currently this “whole” in Europe doesn’t have a nice look and we need to fix it in the interests of all of us. Europtimism is at this point on the lowest level since the establishment of the European Union and the beginning of European integration, which is definitely not good for the future of Europe”. The scepticism on an united Europe is high, but for Miha “just criticising and observing it passively won’t change anything. Therefore we need active debates and discourses about the future of European Union.We have the capabilities and knowledge to improve the general opinion of the EU, to promote Europtimism and shape our future in a positive way. The only thing that we need is will and a long-term strategy”.

Léa Charlet, Policy Officer on Gender Equality

Léa Charlet (AEGEE-Paris) is the Policy Officer on Gender Equality. Member of AEGEE-Paris since September 2011 she was the Project Manager of the Y Vote 2014. Always a strong supporter of the thematic work within the Association, she now works for the Association of the friends of Franck Biancheri, an organisation which aim to promote the idea of our founder. “Gender equality is a topic I am extremely interested in for some year now, and since Agora Zaragoza I am trying to find people interested in the subject to start a project after the end of Y Vote. A lot of people were interested, so when the open call arrived I was ready to go for it and become policy officer”. says Léa. Her idea about gender equality is to reach a perfect equality where “everything is in the nature, let’s just not put people into boxes and accept the combinations around us. When we are dividing the world into Men/women we are taking a lot of people out of the equation”. Regarding her work she see that the mail concern is the awareness. “I think both me and Teo (Policy officer on LGBT, ed)  have this challenge to overcome as policy officer, that before being able to give AEGEE an official position, we need to make people aware of the subject, give the tool for people to think and then finally, ask for an opinion”. She concludes.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia.