The month of January brought us a new Local of the Month: AEGEE-Berlin showed a movie about AEGEE members’ life and is organising not only an event for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, but also a SU in cooperation with AEGEE-Lviv. The board talks about an exchange with AEGEE-Kyiv. Get more information about this active antenna.

The AEGEEan: After being nominated LoM, present us your local.

AEGEE-Berlin board: For thirty years now, AEGEE-Berlin has stood as an example of our values, most visibly in the broad spectrum of nationalities and cultures present within the members and on our board. We have been through difficult times before, when the antenna struggled, but now this is one of the best times! We are not only a group of students, but also a group of friends.

What can you tell us about the Pulse of Europe event? What are you organising for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome?

As you might know, #PulseofEurope is an event organised every Sunday until the 12th of March. It is a gathering of pro-Europeans who want to stand up and be active in the fight for united Europe. As young Europeans, we consider it our responsibility to support this movement. That is why not only we have attended but also have taken to the stage to present our point of view. And not for the last time!

Considering the 60th anniversary, we have come together with five other Berlin-based NGOs (not only youth ones), in order to organise a March for Europe in Berlin for those who are not able to travel to Rome.

Which is the feedback for your SUPS, which took place in your city in January?

The SUPS was a very inspiring event with inspiring people. We were lucky to have high quality trainers and also amazing participants. This combination made it very productive and educational. We can not do differently than just to thank them all again for having been here with us.

Did you get successful in showing the movie “The Art of the Possible”? How can people watch it if they missed it?

We did air it, so I would say yes, we were successful and very pleased to have the creator of the movie, Luca Giazzi, personally there to take part in the discussions. For everyone it was a very cosy evening. The second part of the question is more for Luca than us, as he has a plan of publishing the movie.

Are you satisfied with the exchange “If I were in your shoes” with AEGEE-Kyiv? Which was the best moment of the exchange?

More than satisfied. Twenty-six youngsters from Germany and Ukraine got together to discuss the issues that modern Europe has to face and shared their knowledge and experience. The whole event was supported by the EVZ foundation and various other partners. It was a big challenge for us to organise it as it is always risky when you work with grants. Also it was very important for us becasue it showed that we, as antenna, are capable of this kind of performance. We are very grateful to all the organisers and helpers who made it possible and nailed it.

The general topic of our exchange project “If I were in your shoes” with AEGEE-Kyiv was to educate and provide experience of participatory democracy and voluntarism. Thus, on the second day in Berlin we decided to try out something new by sending all our participants in small groups to local volunteer initiatives, where they would not only be informed, but also engaged. One group went to a homeless shelter, where they helped cooking the meals, another one- to a refugee dormitory, where they built up beds. Two other groups visited different places as well.

We have been skeptical at first, but our participants were overwhelmingly moved by the experience, which was a novelty for many. They unanimously agreed on this having been the most transformative and intriguing part of the exchange in Berlin and some have voiced their will to continue such volunteering activities in their home cities. We hope the memories of this event will guide them in the future.

Have you elected a new board? Who are the board members? Can you tell us something about them?

The election of the new board took place at the beginning of January. Now we have five board members from which two are from the last year. They are all very motivated, promising and ready to make our antenna shine. And what is a better start than getting elected for the Local of the Month?

Are there any members who are also active besides your internal events?

We are very proud of the fact that there are. We have two SUCT members, one JC subcommisioner, a CD assistant for communication and a member of the Eastern Partnership project. This year we hope to get even more members interested in the work on the European level.

What are the future plans of your Local?

Besides usual exchanges and local activities, we are all already excited about the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of our local, which will be epic! Of course we are organising a SU in cooperation with AEGEE-Lviv. So save the dates: from the 18th to the 30th of August and just Hakuna Matata. We would also like to repeat the success with the conference and make another one, of course on a different topic. And the most important plan we have is to continue spreading our awesomeness.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

Every month, many antennae around the Network organise activities that are related to our Action Agenda and Strategic Plan. Some of these locals become ACTive Locals of the Month, but often there is more than one outstanding activity taking place. One of these activities is the project “If I were in your shoes” by AEGEE-Kyïv and AEGEE-Berlin, which took place last October (Kyïv) and December (Berlin) and was related to the Youth Mobility Focus Area. We spoke to Iryna Sheremeta, President of AEGEE-Kyïv and the main coordinator of the Kyïv part of the project, to find out more!

ACT: Can you tell us a little bit more about your programme and participants?
Irina: The program was connected to the main topic of the project “Participatory Democracy”. The idea was to show young and motivated people how they can participate now and be useful for society. Participants were from different cities in Ukraine and Germany, 18-25 years old, and not only AEGEEans. We mixed activities, because we wanted to balance theory and practice as well as show our participants the city. We met with representatives of different initiatives, organised workshops connected to the topic and walked around the city. The same strategy was used in Berlin. We talked about populism, German local initiatives, for example the bicycle movement. Moreover, we visited some of them and tried the practice of mediation with children, helped in a refugee camp and in a local bicycle association.

How and when did the idea to organise this project come to your mind?
The idea to organise a serious project appeared in the heads of our board members from the very beginning of our term. It was a logical decision after a successful year of the previous board, which organised Autumn Agora Kyïv 2015 and a series of events connected to democracy. The particular idea of this project appeared during our New Years event during a discussion about our focus and how we could link ourselves to the Focus Areas.

 
Which steps did you take to realise your idea?
We did not want to make a project following some grants requirements, but we wanted to find a grant matching our idea for it. We followed the Facebook page of the German embassy in Ukraine and saw an open call there. Then, we contacted AEGEEans from AEGEE-Berlin and developed a common vision. Both locals from Ukraine and Germany were involved, because the project Meet Up is a Ukrainian-German cooperation. Then, the waiting period started and we got an answer from the grant three months later. They asked to specify the topic and to add more group work. Actually, the confirmation from the grant was the first step to realise our idea.

 
How exactly did you apply for the grant?
The application for the grant was quite extensive. It consisted of a general vision of the project, a preliminary programme, a preliminary budget, documents, which proved that we are representatives of NGOs (statutes, documents signed by Presidents, etc). We needed to fill an electronic application form and also send a paper version by mail.

 
What was the outcome of your project?
With this project, we wanted to motivate people to act and to be active in their own country. We wanted to show them that there are many possibilities to do that and many opportunities to develop your own personality. We made a video briefly explaining the main idea of the project and shared it on our pages in social networks. Also, the main task was to create ideas for policies which will be sent to the Kyïv City Council.

 
Did you have any troubles to create and realise your idea? How did you solve them?
I do not know if we can call these things troubles, but one girl from Berlin lost her purse and a boy from Cologne lost his camera. Also one participant  from Berlin had troubles on the border and we needed to send her the invitation on the day of arrival. One more participant missed the flight and did not come at all. But basically everything went well and the atmosphere was amazing and friendly.

Can you tell us a bit more about your local?
AEGEE-Kyïv is 21 years old, very active and motivated. During our history we organised two Agoras, and we regularly organise Summer Universities (SU) and local events. We had several Comité Directeur (CD) representatives in the history of our antenna and we are really proud of that.

 
Describe your local in five words.
Active, motivated, friendly, open-hearted, hospitable.

P.S. More information can be found here.
Written by Action Agenda Coordination Committee and Youth Mobility Working Group

It was planned months ago and finally on the 19th of June eleven members of AEGEE-Budapest arrived in Siena to visit, enjoy and appreciate the Tuscan city for four days together with the members of AEGEE-Siena.

The members from AEGEE-Budapest were hosted by AEGEE-Siena’s members. The activities during the exchange were entirely programmed by the organisers, who managed to take the Hungarian guests to some of the magnificent places of Siena. To describe this, it’s best to describe them in order.

First, Prof. Alessandra Viviani – Siena University’s international relationship responsible – visited the group on the 19th of June, to give the guests from Budapest the best welcome, after which the group visited the historical hall “Sala Patrizi”. The following day, the group visited the first of the three UNESCO’s assets of Siena: the city center.

In particular, special attention was paid to the Town Hall, the cathedral of the city and the Nobile Contrada del Bruco. The same day the group met some exponents of the Jewish community of Siena, who introduced them to the synagogue and the Jewish culture. It was a good way to match different interesting topics, such as the situation and history of Jews in Europe, with particular reference to the differences between Italy and Hungary on this subject and focusing the debate on life of minorities. The 21st of June, the Hungarian guests were taken to the town of Monteriggioni, Castellina in Chianti and the Castle of Brolio. The last day of the exchange, the theatre of the beautiful journey, consisted of a visit to the second of three UNESCO’s assets, the area of Val d’Orcia. The group visited the Abbey of “Monte Oliveto Maggiore” and the historical center of Pienza, just before an enjoyable lunch in a typical Tuscan winery.

Siena – with its traditions, the division in 17 “districts” (“contrade”), the Palio, the marvelous landscape offered by Chianti, Val d’Elsa and Val d’Orcia, the unique wine and the Tuscan food – confirmed the attractiveness to AEGEE-Budapest members. Even though the guests paid a low fee, all meals were paid for them and they could visit several places, otherwise expensive to access. The exchange organisers (who were new to AEGEE) didn’t have that much experience with this kind of challenges, but hosted participants in their own houses. Even moving with the organisers’ cars had its silver lining. Participants didn’t have to get bored while waiting for public transportation and  they had the chance to visit as many places as possible, while having a lot of fun during the travels from one destination to another.

What was the result of the exchange? AEGEE-Siena and AEGEE-Budapest spent four beautiful days staying together and the organisers had great satisfaction in showing what Siena is and what it has to offer. In addition, the exchange was a good contribution to the goal of integration among young people from different European cities, which is one of AEGEE’s purposes. AEGEE-Budapest’s members appreciated the organisation of the exchange as they did the city of Siena. Moreover, they found a group of open-minded AEGEEans who will always be available to welcome them, being glad to spend some good time together.

Written by Andrea Cianti, AEGEE-Siena

Between 7th and 12th of March the members of AEGEE-Lviv visited AEGEE-Aachen. Along with being a cultural exchange event, it was also held within the framework of Eastern Partnership Project. Fellow members got to spend a few days filled with activities aimed at discovering the German culture and exploring the charming city Aachen and it’s surroundings. Next to that, members of AEGEE-Aachen got the opportunity to follow workshops and discussions on history, recent events and the current situation in Ukraine. Both organisers and participants shared their thoughts about the event.

What are your impressions of the part of the exchange held in Aachen, people you have met during it and the atmosphere of the event in general?

Kostas Tsoleridis (AEGEE-Aachen): I believe that the atmosphere was beartastic. Despite the fact that most people did not really know each other from before and only a few of us had met previously, there were no problems like a “slow start” in the beginning. After the first day (or better said, the first few hours) the atmosphere was very warm. I think the various activities that we had planned for the beginning (ice breaking games and a rich, tasty and with love prepared brunch) helped a lot.

I want to strongly encourage other antennas to do their own exchanges. It is a fascinating experience, a wonderful way to understand other people’s traditions, culture and habits and the next action agenda encourages it as well!

I am really looking forward to go to Lviv in June and meet all the wonderful AEGEE-Lviv members again!

Olya Ilnytska (AEGEE-Lviv): It was really amazing. Although I couldn’t stay with these fun, mega kind, curious and slightly crazy people untill the end of the exchange, these few days were enough to understand that a certain piece of my heart (or soul – still undecided) will forever remain in this city. The organizers, with the help of some magic (or typical German potion), managed to make us, at least me, feel like home all the time. The atmosphere was as if I came to visit my beloved cousins for the weekend and I didn’t want to go home. You know what? My impressions are not amazing, they’re fantastic, certainly fantastic.  P.S: But still one question is unanswered: what does the fox say?

Sarah Buchmin (AEGEE-Aachen): In my opinion, the exchange between AEGEE-Lviv and AEGEE-Aachen was great and we all spent some really nice days together. The exchange students were really friendly, open minded and seemed to have enjoyed their stay in Aachen a lot. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant on all events and trips, which shows that the participants of both countries got along with each other very well. For me the best events were the European Night as well as the day trips to Monschau and Cologne and the city rally. The exchange students told us a lot about their country and culture, so now I am really looking forward to visiting them, too.

Nadiia Stasyk (AEGEE-Lviv): I am very excited while recalling the Aachen exchange and these cool people that made it real! Friendly and sunny atmosphere while discovering Germany, eating currywurst in the morning, playing Flunkyball and sunbathing near Aachen river. I couldn’t feel my legs after exploring new places and dancing all nights and in the end I even lost my voice after singing karaoke like a rockstar! I miss Aachen and these lovely people that created the sweetest memories for me and I have a strong desire to come back again.

Was the exchange effective for you in terms of gaining knowledge about the history of Ukraine and getting a better insight on what’s been happening there during the last four months?

Christian Schumann (AEGEE-Aachen): As usual, we only know what the news reporters say. Hence, we know Vladimir Putin is bad, Yulia Tymoschenko was on hunger-strike and Vitalyi  Klitschko is fighting with words for democracy. As always, only superficial knowledge. However, for the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to get first-hand information about the current crises. The by far most important point to mention, is why Ukrainians are disappointed by late action of the European Union. Back in 1994 Ukraine gave all their nuclear weapons up to gain acceptance of their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independency. Russia seems to have forgotten this. Complemented by an open discussion, the members of AEGEE-Lviv invited us all to ask questions and to discuss the current situation. Overall it was a very important experience.

Maria  Lüke (AEGEE-Aachen): Yes indeed, there was definitely a lot of great cultural exchange! It was especially intense, because during the exchange Russia was just preparing the voting at Crimea and the theme “Ukraine” was (and still is) very omnipresent in the German Media.

Especially interesting was the talk our guests prepared and the discussion that followed. I liked it a lot, that they explained us a lot about the Ukrainian background. Now I know for example, that Cossacks are not necessarily typical for Russia, but also for Ukraine and that there are a lot of special religious groups like the Greek catholics, who acknowledge the Pope in Rome and different Orthodox groups. I liked it a lot that we could discuss even difficult themes, as “how to deal with a transient government, that is authorised not in the typical way” or “reasons for and against being hard with Putin” or “what role do economic interests have for the European governments” in a positive atmosphere.

Also, I enjoyed the chats about the political situation while walking through Aachen and Köln during the following days and I think talking face to face is really good, because it becomes obvious that even if specific views might differ, everyone is caring very much and wants the same thing in the end! For me personally there is a dilemma: on one hand I really want to help Ukrainian people to ensure their sovereignty and support them standing up for more democracy and justice. But, on the other hand I really want to de- escalate a possible conflict between Russia and Europe, especially from a German point of view with the history of brutal fights against Russia during the Second World War and the positive political experience with Russia with the slogan “Change through rapprochement”.

Still, during the exchange I got the point, that for Ukrainians the preventing war argument is not so strong, if there are already some war-like situations in their country. Also for me it was tough to hear, that some were disappointed by Europe, because of the restrained strategy and very tentatively planning of sanctions. I really felt for them when someone said, that it can be exhausting to hear again, that “Europe is deeply concerned“ but doesn’t do something.

If I can make two wishes: firstly, it would be great to have a more neutral and more multi-faceted reporting and commentatorship, because every country seems to have a leak of some pieces of information somewhere. And of course secondly, I wish that after all there will be a good end for Ukraine.

Another cultural highlight for me was the Ukrainian movie- night, where our Ukrainian friends showed us Firecrosser. It is a love story taking place during the second world war in the Ukraine, and very interesting, e.g. because of the diversity in language, with the Ukrainian, Russian and Tatar language and because of the unexpected twist, which is definitely not the predictable Hollywood end we were expecting somehow!

What impressed you the most during the event?

Nataliia Bidnyk (AEGEE-Lviv): Since it was only my second experience as a member of AEGEE and I have never been to Germany before, this exchange was really full of new impressions. I was amazed by the friendliness and hospitality of AEGEE-Aachen members and the beauty of all German cities we have visited. The program of event was very intensive and interesting, which made everyday an exciting adventure. Also I was pleasantly surprised by their profound knowledge about the current political situation in Ukraine and genuine interest towards it and the Ukrainian culture and history. I really liked the first part of exchange held in Aachen!

Sarah Buchmin (AEGEE-Aachen): I was impressed the most by the way people from different countries get used to each other in such a short period of time. The exchange students from Lviv were in Aachen only for a couple of days, but this time was still enough to get to know them pretty well and to take them into ones heart. I was positively surprised by that, because up to that point I only had a comparable experience during my Erasmus semester abroad, which took more than four months. Now I am more convinced of the great value of exchanges, even if they only last four or five days. Additionally, I was impressed by our guests’ ability to speak English. Most of them speak really fluently and hardly any problems came up with regard to communication.

Victoria Horiachko (AEGEE-Lviv): It’s challenging to choose one thing that was the most impressive for me – travelling to a foreign country, living and spending all that time with its citizens and getting to know their culture always brings loads of impressions. Thus I wouldn’t bore the interested reader with my subjective observations and rather concentrate on what amazed me the most about the people who were hosting us, organising everything, showing us around and keeping an enjoyable company.

Probably the most astonishing for me about our friends from Aachen was finding out their deep awareness of the situation in Ukraine. Sure, you would say, everything that’s been happening there has been a hot topic for months already – everyone is acquainted with what’s been going on. However during the workshop and discussions not only were they listening to our points of view but they were also taking active part in those conversations and expressed their attitude to the discussed topics.

Ana Isabel Ramones (AEGEE-Aachen): I was impressed the most by the enthusiasm of the AEGEE-Aachen people. In every part of the programme Aachen people were involved and it was great to see what an active and motivated local we are at the moment! I am really looking forward to the other half of the exchange in Lviv and to see the great spirit of AEGEE-Lviv and Aachen together again!

For five days you were hosted by students in Aachen and have spent all that time with them. How would you compare your everyday life with theirs?

Natalka Kinash (AEGEE-Lviv): People in Aachen seem to be magical creatures, who live in a wonderland, where you have beer instead of water and summer instead of spring. I’ll try to be an unbiased observer, who just compares some obvious facts.
First and foremost, the average age of an university graduate in Lviv varies between 21 and 22, whereas in Aachen people graduate from university when they are already 25-26. The main benefit, of course, is that they can enjoy an independent joyful life without many responsibilities longer than people in Ukraine. On the other hand, if you are willing to start your career as soon as possible, then education in Ukraine is much better option. Aachen is full of students whose studies have more or less a technical orientation. That’s not true about Lviv, because we still have lots of classical disciplines such as history, philosophy, culturology, etc. The next important issue is money. Many Ukrainian students get paid scholarships from government if they pass their exams successfully. You don’t have to apply for it, it’s just a part of our system of education. In Aachen the situation is quite different: you have to pay some fee for your studies and normally you work during your studies. Most students are employed by the university and their job is connected with the topic of a course paper. In my opinion, that’s a really big benefit for them.

Finally, I want to describe my personal impressions. All the people from Aachen are more mature, than we are. Most of them live apart from their families, so they are more independent. They live, work, study, socialize and have fun. Students have to multitask a lot. None of them behaves like a closed strict German from the stereotypes. Everybody is so open-minded, ready to dialogue, that I simply admire that. Leo, who was hosting me and Nadiia, was doing his Erasmus in Barcelona, his diploma is about photoeffect, he teaches children maths at the weekends. Leo is always smiling. I can’t say that many people live like this in Lviv, but maybe it’s just about being in AEGEE, about being active. But anyway I like it!

Oksana Stuha (AEGEE-Lviv): Well, during the five days of the incredible stay in Aachen we have come across a lot of similar and divergent features of life styles among the Ukrainian and German students. I would say that it was not so apparent since the time we have spent with our new friends was not enough for a deeper look into the real everyday life, but still some of the differences were obvious.

The most striking distinctive feature lied in the issues of where to live. It puzzled me that the dorms in Germany are almost the same price as the hired apartments, whereas, the dorms in Ukraine are extremely cheap but correspondingly they are in a bad condition as well. Moreover for Germans the possibility to have a job, at least part-time, is pretty high, notwithstanding the fact that it has some limited hours per week. Sometimes Ukrainian students have to choose between work and studies, but it is not always the case.

And what I liked most in their everyday life was the fact that they are always positive. They always look on the bright side of their lives. This fact inspires a lot! On the contrary, our youth is lost in their problems, which gives an impression that everyone lives in her or his own shell and never wants to put her/his nose out of it. One more thing, Aachen people were very punctual! What interests me too is the fact whether German girls are as punctual while getting ready for a date as they are on the daily basis. I dare to say that it is something that all the girls from all around the world have in common. And last but not the least, both Germans and Ukrainians are very friendly. They are friendly not only every day, but every hour, every minute and every waking moment in general and this is the fact that unites everyone!

Written by Victoria Horiachko, AEGEE-Lviv

AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg is one of the most northern antennae in the AEGEE Network. However, that is not the most special part about this interesting antenna. Discover the story behind it in this interview with the President of AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg where you get insight details into how they motivate their many members and organise events taking place far away from their own city. 

It is a paradox, but AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg was founded in 1996 – at one of the most difficult periods of modern Russian history.  But the antenna has survived and until now the members have done their best to contribute to the development of the AEGEE community. Dozens of different events were organised during these years, but there is one very special project, and different from all the others, by its scale and ambitions. This is the legendary “Transsiberian Dream” that was invented by AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg. For sure it became the «brand» and now everyone in AEGEE knows about this outstanding project crushing all the borders. The total amount of members have been more or less stable during the latter years. At the moment, the antenna holds 74 members of which about 20 of them are active and some even on the European level of AEGEE. As in many other cases, the amount of members usually increases around the Summer University (SU) application period and in this antenna’s case the number of members rises up to 100.

The AEGEEan interviewed the President of AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg, Yulia Bezhenova, about the upcoming board elections, Winter University and more.

The AEGEEan: You will elect a new board soon, how has it been in the board of your antenna for the past year?

Being in the board is a big challenge and responsibility, but it gives you a lot for the self-development and brings really great feelings when the prospected projects are successfully done. Not all of our board members managed to complete their terms, nevertheless it was one more challenge for the team to face, to stand and to learn. We were a great crew, it was a pleasure to work with such responsible and reliable people, sharing together late evenings by Skype or sitting in the almost closing café, discussing, arguing and strategizing. We would highly recommend everyone to take this responsibility: to be in the board and manage long-term tasks – that’s how you grow.

Would anyone of you like to continue in the board?

The best option for productive work is to combine experience and new ideas. We hope the next board will use best practices from the previous one in implementing fresh concepts. Elections will show…Nevertheless, former board being officially as supervisors or as helpers will support and advise the new one.

Making the promotion video for the Summer University 2013

What local activities do you organise to motivate your members?

We usually organise two local training courses (LTC) during the year. This is an opportunity for us to build the bridge between newbies and experienced members. That’s where knowledge and inspiration transfer takes place. Besides that, we always try to delegate some small tasks while organizing events to the members who just joined or were “warmed up” by SU experience. This is how they become a part of the team and learn to take responsibility. Later, as most of us experienced, they are ready to manage more serious tasks.

It’s also important to bring the European level of AEGEE closer to our members. For this purpose we inform them about opportunities to join some projects. In our upcoming Local Training Course (LTC) there will be a special session led by our members who present Audit Commission and International Politics Working Group (IPWG). Sharing personal experience is much more effective in promoting than just general words.

Are you already thinking about organizing a Summer University next year?

Yes, we will for sure. The white nights of Sankt-Petersburg will open their doors for about 20 lucky participants. We are also open for possible cooperation.

Why did you choose to organize the Winter University?

For the last few years we’ve usually carried out the winter event. It’s definitely worth to visit Russia in winter, it’s so special! We would like to share with participants а magic winter, the beauty of our country. That’s why it’s a pleasure for us to keep up this good tradition and we are inviting everyone to participate in our Russian Winterventure.

Is it difficult to organize an event with AEGEE-Moskva which is far away from your city?

In the country we live in, to travel 600 km from Moscow to St. Petersburg is like going to the next door in a campus!  Seriously, guys from AEGEE-Moskva are our partners and friends for years  so there is no problem to cooperate with them.

Distance is a challenge but not a problem. For instance, we have experience in managing events in cooperation with Sevastopol which is more than 2000 km far away from our city.

The special thing with Winterventure event is that it will be organized only by us, even if the program includes two cities.

Dancing Ball

What is special about the event?

Winterventure will bring our participants to the 18^th century dancing ball, to the gorgeous halls of the Emperor family’s palace and open the treasures of  the Hermitage. The train will take brave travelers from majestic St. Petersburg to dynamic Moscow, which never sleeps. During the adventure, participants will be accompanied by cheerful and careful organizers.

What other things lie in the future plans of AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg?

Every year we organize a SU, winter event and exchange with some other antennae. Every time we try to bring new ideas, that’s why we are ready to set up new contacts, discover new destinations and implement new projects.

On the local level, currently we are working on “Speaking Club” and “Travelers Club”. These projects are also supposed to gather already active members and new ones and by this, to solve such strategic issues like team-building and attracting new members.

One year ago we had already a “speaking club” and now we would like to bring this project back. It will be led by several people who will be in charge of developing different topics and preparing materials for every meeting. Usually it’s performed in a discussion format. Some people are afraid to participate in international events because of lack of foreign language skills. It’s still an issue in Russia. And through this project, we would like to help them to break this barrier. The second project will gather travel-lovers. It will be organized by volunteers among our members and their friends who would like to share their experience of traveling. Also we are planning to invite native representatives, foreign students, to these meetings. The list of possible topics for any country is endless: food, traditions, habits, …This is our plan for the upcoming year. For sure the theme of international communication and traveling will attract and bring quite a lot of new people.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København