After several successful events, including a Network Meeting (NWM) two years ago and three Agoras (in 2012, 1995 and 1991), AEGEE-Budapest is organising with a very experienced core team and the collaboration of the Civic Education Working Group, the Franck Biancheri Award, which will also serve as the opening event of the Europe on Track project. In this article the Board of AEGEE-Budapest gives us some information about this event which will be held at the end of April 2017.

The AEGEEan: Please, present your local!

AEGEE-Budapest: Our history started in the Nineties, when AEGEE-Budapest was founded like a pioneer as the first local of AEGEE-Europe on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain. Since its formation, it hosted prestigious events, like the Agora in 1991, which was a conference with 600 participants. This was repeated four years later, and for the third time in 2012, when AEGEE-Budapest organised one of the biggest Agoras since the foundation of AEGEE.

AEGEE-Budapest is one of the most popular students’ associations in the capital. It provides exchanges, thematic trainings, conferences, summer universities and countless different types of events for its members. Nowadays, we have around 200 members, 50 of them actively contributing to the work of the local. They come from different fields of study like economics, engineering, computer science, sociology and some of them are even already graduated students.

To highlight some events our local hosted, in 2014 AEGEE-Budapest organised a Network Meeting with 42 participants where the main topic was Spreading Europtimism. One year later, in 2015, we hosted the IFISO (Informal Forum for International Student Organisations), where students’ organisations from all over Europe were represented. In 2016, AEGEE-Budapest launched a new project called Get Involved! which aimed at discussing some of the current happenings in Europe. For now all the conferences organised within this project explored the topic of migration towards Europe, including the Hungarian perspective and the role of Turkey in Europe after the military coup and the governmental answer to it.

To activate its members, AEGEE-Budapest has now three working groups, namely: Human Resources (HR), Public Relations (PR) and Fundraising (FR). These WGs help a lot to improve the quality of the events we organise.

Why did you decide to apply for the Franck Biancheri Award?

Since Autumn Agora Budapest 2012, we had the dream to organise a prestigious and professional event where the content was aimed at addressing the current situation in Europe, cooperating with several AEGEE Bodies to highlight its values. We were thinking about applying last year, but we had some doubts whether we could apply for the award with an outstanding application or not. In fact, our motto would be a quote from Star Wars: “Do or do not, there is no try”.

When Europe on Track (EoT) and Civic Education Working Group (CEWG) approached us in 2016 with the basic idea of a conference which would be reflecting on the past, debating on the present, envisioning a different future, we understood that we could be able to win the award with this application.

Who is in the core team?

In the core team there are those members who already contributed to fill in the application. After the positive result from the Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri, we involved more people with different backgrounds and experiences to achieve the highest possible level of cooperation among us. The core team members from AEGEE-Budaperst are: Petra Buruzs, Bernadett Mészáros, Ákos Glaub and Bálint Caesar. As for the cooperation with the AEGEE Bodies, we have Nicola Guida and María Ballesteros Melero from Europe on Track, Bálint Toronyai from Civic Education Working Group and Maria-Daniela Maris from More than Education.

Can you give us a sneak peek of what you are preparing?

A three-day conference will be held in Budapest at the end of April. During the conference we will discuss the role of Civic Education, analyse the real meaning of democracy and how we can face the raising of populism in Europe. All these topics are highly associated with the ideas of  Franck’s legacy and his work. This is also reflected by the title of the conference, which is ‘Education for the present, Democracy for the future’. The event will be also the opening of the fourth edition of the Europe on Track project, and their ambassadors will commence their journey from Budapest this time.

Furthermore, AEGEE-Budapest has an own middle-term, local project called Get Involved!. The project was launched in 2016, and aims at focusing on the current happenings and issues in Europe. We are organising more forums and discussions in the near future covering three main relevant topics. Among others, we will examine the relevance of a common currency (a.k.a. Euro), analise the threat of the populism in Europe and finally how did Hungary benefit on different levels from the EU membership.

What were you doing when the CD delivered the news and how did you feel about it?

After submitting the application, we were really excited. All of us were waiting for the final result with fingers crossed – we really felt pain keeping our fingers crossed for so long. We were checking and refreshing our e-mails quite often, until finally we received the highly anticipated e-mail from the Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri announcing that we won the award. All of us were really happy and ‘celebrating’ it in the Facebook chat group with a lot of champagne stickers and smileys.

A few days later, we had a skype meetig with the core team, when we discussed the most important steps ahead of us. Some weeks later, we also had a skype meeting with the members of AAFB and Comité Directeur. They are really supporting us with everything!

Did you already collaborate with Civic Education Working Group and Europe on Track project?

Last year, Budapest was one of the stops of the third edition of Europe on Track. We organised an event where we screened a Hungarian movie and the ambassadors of EoT also held a workshop for the members of AEGEE-Budapest. One of our members, Bálint Toronyai, is also part of the Civic Education Working Group and this definitely proved to be a huge help during the application process. While preparing the application, we had weekly skype meetings, hangouts, rapid commenting at the shared documents, where we discussed our ideas and made it real together.

How can we reach Budapest? What has Budapest to offer?

Well, it is easy to reach Budapest. Our capital is located in the middle of Europe and it has several connections with other European cities. Liszt Ferenc International Airport is one of the biggest in the region with more than 10 million passengers per year, it has connections with almost 100 destinations and 120 flights per day. International trains connect Budapest with several German cities and with every neighbouring countries. Express trains operate every two hours from Wien, Munich, Bratislava, Prague, etc. International bus companies operate several cheap lines from different cities all over Europe. When the application period will be open, we will publish a document explaining how members can get to Budapest from all over Europe.

And why is it worth visiting Budapest? The capital of Hungary is divided into the hilly Buda on the western bank of the Danube, with its narrow streets and greener environment, and the more residential and flat Pest on the opposite side.

Budapest is famous for its historical sites, like the almost 800 years-old Buda Castle District, where you can visit Buda Castle, Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion. An astonishing view from the hilly Buda is guaranteed! On the opposite side you can see the Hungarian parliament, which is the third biggest parliamentary building in the world, St. Stephen’s Basilica, which is the largest church in Budapest, and the Main Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world. At the end of the Andrássy Avenue, Heroes Square closes the Unesco World Heritage area.

Hungary, and also Budapest, is famous for its spas, like Széchenyi, Gellért or Turkish. Nowadays Budapest is also leading the nightlife in Europe. Several tourist, in fact, come to Budapest to discover the pubs, bars, clubs, festivals and concerts scattered all around the city.

If you want to stay updated about the event, visit the website.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

This spring, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca is organising a thematic conference about the benefits and/or disadvantages of a Europe without borders. During the event, they will commemorate Franck Biancheri, the founder of AEGEE, and celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Bellow you can find more information about the event that will be organised in collaboration with Your Vision for EUrope Project.

The AEGEE congress in Paris, April 1985, was the result of Franck Biancheri and Philippe Micaelli’s hard work. Without their drive and initiative, we could not have experienced all the great things that AEGEE has to offer. Franck Biancheri was passionate about the things he believed in and, as a leader, he inspired many people, irreversibly changing the lives of thousands of students all over Europe.

In order to keep Franck Biancheri’s memory alive, AEGEE and the Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri (AAFB), created the Franck Biancheri Year Award, an event in which an AEGEE antenna honors his memory and remembers his contribution to the foundation of our organiation. This year, AAFB changed the name into Franck Biancheri Award.

Even though the award was given in order for an antenna to organise events during the whole year, in 2016 they changed the concept a bit, and in spring, when all nature comes back to life, one event will be organised by the winner local of the award.

AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca has the opportunity to collaborate with Your Vision for Europe Project to create this event, which will consist a three-day thematic conference “Borderless Europe: Blessing or Burden” in order for the ones to present how to explore the benefits and disadvantages of a borderless Europe. The event will take place between the 6th and 9th of May in the former European Youth Capital and is aiming to gather 50 participants interested in the life of the founder of AEGEE and in discovering the life of Cluj-Napoca, from all over Europe, as well as AEGEE members and non-AEGEE members.

The conference includes panel discussions, workshops and lectures on the following topics:

• Evolution of the European Community
• Schengen: Have Europe’s borders really disappeared?
• Understanding diversity
• A look from outside the European Union
• Expansion of the EU (2004) and what will happen to the Balkans or Turkey?
• How can EU citizens really understand the visa regulations?
• Opportunities for youth outside the Union

Being the first antenna in Romania and one of the first in Western Europe, this year on 9th May, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca will celebrate its 25th Anniversary that will also be part of the event.

For the organisers, the preparations for the event have already started and they are waiting for amazing people to spend beautiful days in their city, learn more about Europe’s external borders and Europe without borders, commemorate Franck Biancheri and celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

You can apply here.

Read more about the event here.

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

From 6th to 8th of March  around 70 AEGEEans and alumni gathered in Paris for the “Back to the roots” event. The event commemorated the 30 years of AEGEE and has coincided with the Meeting of the Friends of Franck Biancheri Association (AAFB) Network and the 15th anniversary of Newropeans. AEGEE-Paris, the AAFB and the Newropeans network were the organisers.

Under the title “Europe in crisis, Erasmus generation towards a democratic alliance” the central conference was held in the Salon de l’Aveyron, in Paris Bercy, on Sunday. This is the second Franck Biancheri event in AEGEE. The first one was held by AEGEE-Delft in December 2014, and the idea is to organise an event every year. For that, the AAFB gives support, both economically and logistically, to one antenna each year.

On Friday the members of AEGEE and Les Anciens coming from all around Europe enjoyed a city tour around Montmartre, the neighbourhood where they were hosted in a hostel, and a suggestive European night in the centre of Paris.

On Saturday the participants were divided into groups and had workshops which helped them to prepare for the presentation of their ideas in the Sunday conference. The seven themes were: Europe of Energy, Europe of Defense, Fiscal Europe, Europe of the Euro, Social Europe, Europe of the Media, and Political Europe. The main findings are being assembled in a document.

The event counted with the presence of the President of the AAFB, Marie-Helène Caillol, Alexandra Kluczka (vice-president of AEGEE Europe) and other CD members, the Italian MEP Brando Benifei, the State Secretary to European Affairs of Portugal Bruno Maçaes, politicians, journalists, more people from the Franck Biancheri Networks, the President of AEGEE-Paris Hana Hudak and Léa Charlet (AEGEE-Paris) as the main organiser. Debates were held with participation from approximately 150 people from the audience. The participants had fun and the opportunity to visit Paris, but most of all, they returned home full of ideas and motivation for future projects.

Frank Biancheri was the main founder of AEGEE. He was only 24 back in 1985, when the first EGEE conference took place in Paris. He was one of the persons who lobbied most for the creation of the Erasmus Programme and also founder of the first transnational European Party, Newropeans, in 2000. There are more events coming up this year commemorating the 30 years of AEGEE, with the “revival” of the Night of the Seven Antennae in April in Aachen, Bergamo, Catania, Eskisehir, Kyiv, Leiden, and Sofia and the main conference in Brussels in May as the central ones.

Written by Ferran Arruebo, AEGEE-Barcelona

Pictures by Márton Demeter, Ferran Arruebo and Philippe Portalier

Thirty years ago, a dream was born. A dream conceived by a man who wanted to see a better Europe for its citizens: Franck Biancheri. With this aim in mind, and after a conference in Paris (EGEE 1) about overcoming Europe’s integration paralysis, the Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l’Europe (AEGEE) was created. Up to this day, it brings together more than 13000 students from all around Europe. This year, AEGEE-Paris, one of the founding antenna, wants to celebrate this fact by organising an event about it. With the cooperation of the Association des amis de Franck Biancheri, a promising event is presented. The AEGEEan asked Léa Charlet, main organiser of the event, about it.

The AEGEEan: What will the main topic of the event be?
Léa: Nowadays, the EU is going through the most serious crisis in its history, and it seems that if it fails to rebuild itself, helped by the European citizens, there is no way out of this situation. Just like Erasmus would not have been possible without AEGEE-Europe members, we believe that our democratic, influential and sustainable Europe, will not see the light of day without the Erasmus generations of which we, in AEGEE, are the representatives. Our event will therefore be an occasion to discuss the future of Europe as AEGEE, the Erasmus generation.

What can the participants expect from the event?
To discuss a lot on subjects of which we are not always talking about in AEGEE, but it doesn’t mean that as citizens we do not have an opinion. To get out of their comfort zone in terms of ideas and debate about essential subjects which might get us further in our emphasizing project. To meet a lot of people from all over Europe. And of course to celebrate the 30 years of our amazing association in the beautiful city of Paris!

Tackling the situation of the future of Europe is always a difficult point, how is it going to be presented?
The idea is to tackle the different problems by theme: Europe of jobs, Social Europe, Europe of the Media, Political Europe etc. We also want our participants to prepare their own recommendations on saturday (following the same good practice from Y Vote 2014). The recommendations will be presented to the whole assembly on Sunday during the final conference. A speaker will then give his arguments and we will have small debates. We do not pretend to redress Europe in one conference, but want to state that it’s time that politicians, journalists, european citizens, civil society and many more actors start working together.

What do you, as main organiser, expect the outcome of the event to be?
For people to enjoy the discussion and feel that they learned something during this weekend, to enjoy the whole event and Paris, and also to feel part of this big 30 year anniversary celebration!

AEGEE-Paris was one of the founding antennae of AEGEE. How do you feel to be part of this milestone, and how do you think it influences the members of AEGEE-Paris?

I personally always felt it was fun to be able to speak French during Agora(she laughs). More seriously, I don’t think it’s changing anything except that we can brag about it sometimes.

The Association des amis de Franck Biancheri is cooperating with you on organising the event. What is their role going to be?
First, in the framework of the Franck Biancheri year, we received a consequent financial help, without which this event could not happen. The help is mainly for the final conference: speakers, venues, content. They will also be present for a little while during the preliminary debate, in order to bring the ideas supported by Franck Biancheri to the debate.

Franck Biancheri was certainly a role model in most aspects regarding this AEGEE life, how is he going to be present during this event?
As I mentioned, some of the members of the association, who worked with him for twenty years, will be the representatives of his ideas saturday morning. He will also be part of the celebration retracing 30 years of AEGEE!

If you want to apply for it you still have time untill the 15th of February. For more information, check their event on Facebook!

Written by Ruben Navarro, AEGEE-Tarragona