It is ten o’clock on October 9th. It had been raining since the early morning but during the night the rain became stronger. The council did not raise the alarm, so the Genoan citizens were not that worried. An AEGEE event was planned for this night: Thursday Night Fever, but the board members decided wisely to cancel it. Looking at the streets, nobody was there; just a few cars battling through a terrible rainstorm. In the memory of the inhabitants there is still the image of the flood of November 2011, when the mud and the rain desolated the neighborhood of Marassi, Quezzi, Borgo Incrociati, Foce and San Fruttuoso, as well as the wonderful Cinque Terre.

Genova is a city built on rivers: Bisagno, Sturla, Fereggiano, Chiaravagna, Polcevera. Those are particularly dangerous but also other torrents are threatening everywhere in Liguria. At eleven, the streets were dark: no electricity and danger could be sensed from the river Fereggiano. Within ten minutes the amount of water on the streets became worrisome. The water had been coloured brown in just a few seconds: it is mud now. The authorities announced bad news: the rivers Bisagno, Fereggiano and Sturla have flooded. It has happened again. The rain is weaker now, but it is too late. Borgo Incrociati, Brignole Station, Corso Torino and Via XX Settembre are under water again, just as they were three years ago. This time, one person died: he was waiting for the bus right at the moment when the river Bisagno flooded. He had no chance.

It is night and darkness is everywhere. We cannot do anything now; we have to wait until the morning after. No work, no university, no school. On October 10th, the authorities raise the alarm: “Don’t go out, more rainstorms are coming!”. But it is not possible to wait: the drains are obstructed by mud and if more floods come, it will be a complete disaster (luckily the announced second flood never arrived). The streets are full of countless young people shoveling mud in the rain. They call them “Angeli del fango” (mud angels), and from the moment they woke up they started working for the flood victims.

Everybody in the country was watching. The flood victims, traders and merchants cheer the boys on. One of them said “You do not deserve us”. It seemed as if Genova had lost its’ Youth. Sucked into a black hole from the grumbling of the “oldest city” in Italy. Forgotten or self-segregated in their bedrooms, in front of the screen of a smartphone. Only the “excesses” of their nightlife displayed in the media. Instead, the dawn after the flood brought them back onto the streets. Not to complain this time, but to shovel, wash, clean, straighten out. The hands, also naked, in mud and not on their keyboards to be indignant on social networks. They did not wait until the end of the alert, which already came too late. They did not ask for permission. They took the city.

Now the city is clean, but the work is not finished yet. We have to take this tragedy as an opportunity to raise the awareness of the importance of sustainability and the care for our land, not only in Genova, or in Italy, but in the whole of Europe. As we are AEGEEans we can do it. What happened in Genova, for the second time in three years, causes indignation and rage. In Italy we feel indignation and rage at least once a day for what is happening in this peninsula.

In AEGEE we’re always encouraged by the whole network to take part in the European level, but when things like this occure, we are pushed to wonder: what is the point? How can you think about the Strategic Plan when your house is covered in mud and the only thing you can do is to shovel it out?

There are territories in Italy which are almost uninhabitable, but people and youngsters are trying their best to live there: these are places in which there is a high percentage of cancer caused by a toxic garbage dump; territories with rivers whose path is obstructed by cement causing them to flood when it rains; in which building your own house will inevitably mean you will see it disintegrated by a earthquake, etc.

This is not about focusing on just a nation and not the continent, this is about living in an environment where an AEGEE antenna is located and without keeping your head in the sand. The burning question is: can AEGEE-Europe give a voice to local problems? Can issues on the European level get closer to the local level?

Maybe it is not only the italian- speaking antennae who live with the same problems. It’s not about solidarity or money donations, it is about having the political weight at the European level and taking advantage of it on a local level. Of course, solidarity and financial donations are important, too. They deal with these tragedies in the immediate aftermath.

What happened in Genova, DOES NOT stay in Genova. We cannot keep on ignoring the flooding emergency and all the other natural disasters which hit Europe this year. In other words we want AEGEE to be more active from this point of view by introducing a new European project aimed to inform and discuss the way in which each country should prevent and react to these kinds of emergency. Why is this idea so important to us? Because, on the one hand, we are talking about an ongoing problem; on the other hand we want to support all those people who lost everything because of natural disasters and who are even angrier because their own country ignores their needs and is not doing enough for them.

When Genova was hit by the floods, many Rainbow members wanted to go there as volunteers but it was not easy because AEGEE is not an association registered to Protezione Civile (the Italian association that acts in similar cases). For many other reasons it was impossible to go there and it made us think: what can we do in similar cases?

First of all, AEGEE should register to the Protezione Civile or an similar association; it is not an easy step because each country has its own institution and AEGEE functions does not have a national level. Consequently, we could decide to register each local antenna to its national association or to register AEGEE Europe to every national equivalent of the Protezione Civile. Being a volunteer in emergency cases is both interesting and useful but it is not enough.

The second step involves each local spreading information about the catastrophe to make people aware of what is happening. It can easily be done through social media but also by organising conferences or international events in which people not only present information about the situation but also debate about prevention and social responsibility.

The third step could be called “long distance help”; it consists simply in the provision of basic human needs and the transmission of an IBAN code to transfer money to associations that could directly help people of the affected areas.

This is in brief our modest but serious proposal. It could be improved but we can work together on this project to make it happen. We know that it is impossible to stop an earthquake, but we are AEGEEans, we pursue a united and borderless Europe. So let us be really united in the time of need.

How to help?

AEGEE-Genova created a campaign called #ForzaGenova to collect money for Genova flood victims. They are donating all this month’s income from local events and merchandise. If you want to be part of this campaign just donate to this bank account:

Bank account SEPA

Card owner: Benedetta Sirianni

IBAN IT 16 S 07601 05138 225240425244

Comments: (donator) Crowfounding floodGenova2014

If each antenna will donate a symbolic amount of 10 Euro we can easily reach the goal of 2000 Euro. Genova would be very grateful.

Written by Savino Delfino, AEGEE-Genova, Lisa Gregis, AEGEE-Bergamo, Larisa Smajlagic and Angie Zandonà, AEGEE-Verona

Pictures courtesy of Angeli col fango sulle magliette Facebook Page

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and eastern Croatia have been hit the past days by a record flooding, and the state of emergency has been declared in some parts of both countries. More than 100,000 homes have been evacuated so far, and it has become one of the biggest natural disasters in the region.

Whereas the media from outside the Balkans have paid little attention to the devastating floods in the region, our AEGEE members in the area have been actively involved in awareness-creating and fundraising for the cause. They are sharing information on social media to raise awareness and spending their days volunteering and getting supplies for those affected. The AEGEEan has talked to the president of AEGEE-Beograd, Jelena Stanković, about the actions they are carrying and how can AEGEE members from all over the Network contribute.

Here are some of the numbers you can use to help (calling codes – Serbia: +381, Croatia: +385, Bosnia and Herzegovina: +387).

The AEGEEan: For those who are not aware of the situation – can you explain briefly what is happening and how it all started?

Jelena Stanković: Three months’ worth of rain fell on the region in just four days last week, creating the worst floods since records began 120 years ago. Rapidly rising rivers surged into homes, sometimes reaching up to the second floors and sending people climbing to rooftops for shelter. In Bosnia and Serbia 25 people have died, but warned the toll could rise. Tens of thousands of homes were left without electricity or drinking water. Hundreds were also evacuated in Croatia and one person was reported dead. Officials said more than 16,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit regions in Serbia, many finding shelter in schools and sports halls. Lines of mattresses covered the floors of schools im Belgrade , with frightened survivors describing unstoppable torrents that surged in a matter of minutes. Houses are erased of the map in the Serbian city of Krupanj. And the threats of the diseases caused by floods are the next thing to be worried about.

The AEGEEan: Which impact has it had so far in Serbia and Bosnia?

Jelena: Yesterday we were in the supermarket to buy the necessary things for evacuated people, and all around we could see others running and asking what they could buy and where they could take it. People don’t have that much but they want to help, they know that their little for someone is a lot. A lot of voluntaries are sent back because too many applied. Everybody is trying to give their best to help.

But I think the fact that all Balkan (former Yugoslavia) countries are working together is the most powerful picture of this tragedy. Water washed the borders; we can do so much united for the people in need. I feel so proud today of all this people, and I know I am not alone.

The AEGEEan: How have the local/national governments from these countries have reacted?

Jelena: This is a delicate question, because a lot of people are criticizing governments for not being prepared on time, even if they had some warnings. But again people started organizing by themselves and did a lot of work. The army, Red Cross, the Fire Department and the Police are showing a lot of courage and most of them haven’t slept for four days. Some of them lost their lives by saving others’.

The AEGEEan: And what about you, have you been affected directly by the floods?

Jelena: In Belgrade, some parts were affected by the floods, as Obrenovac, where 12 people died and counting, but I think all our members are safe. My family house is flooded and during two days I couldn’t contact my parents most of the time. Now they are safe, but a lot of families are still trapped in the water.

AEGEE-Beograd’s Twitter account has been actively informing about the happenings.

The AEGEEan: How did you decide that AEGEE-Beograd had to be actively involved? And when did you start with all the activities?

Jelena: It was a natural thing to do, when something like this happens you only feel the urge to help. We had an urgent board meeting and decided to use money from our budget and buy what was needed. A lot of our members are volunteering in the shelters. With the Alumni of AEGEE-Beograd we also started an action to collect money for the endangered. This is just a begging. Whole towns are destroyed and a lot of people need help.

The AEGEEan: You are focusing a lot on raising awareness, especially by social media, how are you doing it?

Jelena: We use Facebook and Twitter to share the news and delegate people and goods where its needed. On our private profiles we are sharing numbers of accounts where people can donate money from abroad. Donations don’t need to be big, but if we have a big number of donations we can make an impact. In this point any help is welcome. We have also got in touch with locals from Bosnia and Croatia to see what we can do together.

The AEGEEan: And which other volunteering activities have you done?

Jelena: As I said we are volunteering in the shelters, helping with sorting and caring of the evacuated people. The guys are working on the dams, because the waves are coming.

The AEGEEan: Are you cooperating with any other NGOs?

Jelena: We are in contact with other student organizations as ESN and AIESEC, and we are trying to organize something together and raise money.

The AEGEEan: How can AEGEE members from all over the Network help?

Jelena: We received a lot of messages from our friends from all the Network, and we can just say thank you. Some of them had some ideas and shared them on the AEGEE-L mailing list. One of the ideas is to donate the money on the same way that AEGEE-Beograd did, therefore from our budgets or SU fees. We are also going to have an action to collect money for the flooded areas; there are going to be open accounts where people can donate and help.

But I think we shouldn’t just think for today. Unfortunatelym there is a lot of tragedies all around of Europe and we need to be able to help somehow. I had the idea of a Humanitarian Fund of AEGEE which can be financed from the fees that locals pay for the registration. I know this money is needed but we can save in many ways, we can use online booklets, one t-shirt can be someone’s lunch, we can cut the travel costs, there is always a way.

The AEGEEan: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Jelena: I just want to say thank you to all of our friends from all over Europe who supported us, but we also need AEGEE-Europe to react not just for us, but for all the people in the future who will be endangered. Shares and likes are helping but they are not feeding the people. We can do so much more. People from Bosnia and Serbia need your help; your one coffee is a hot meal or a warm bed for them.

The thoughts of the members of The AEGEEan team go to all people affected by this disaster. We are truly amazed by the big effort our AEGEE members in the region are doing and the awareness they are creating!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona