Do you remember the very first time you went to an Agora, and how overwhelmed you probably felt at all the new experiences, new people and new knowledge? Or are you going to your first Agora and curious to find out what will happen? The Agora Mentorship project is here to help you out!

Have you ever wondered why some participants at Spring Agora Enschede 2017 had an “i” icon or a graduation hat on their badges? Well, those were mentors (“i” icon) and mentees (graduation hat icon), participating in the first re-launch of the Agora Mentorship project. Through this project, AEGEEans who were going to their first Agora were coupled with an experienced Agora participant, who could guide them through the chaos we call our general assembly.

Interesting idea, but did it actually work? If we look at the evaluation answers, yes! For the question: “Would you recommend the Agora Mentorship project to others, for example new members in your local?”, 100% of the people said yes, and a large majority (84,4% to be more precise) wanted to participate (and is now participating) in a future edition again too as a mentor.

In the very first edition, 27 mentors took care of 63 mentees, and for Autumn Agora Catania 2017, we are back with 32 mentors and 64 mentees. A good reason to continue this growing project, which is organised by the Human Resources Committee (HRC) again after having its first edition during Spring Agora Asturias 2015, and another edition at Autumn Agora Kyïv 2015.

At Spring Agora Enschede 2017, the project was then officially re-established, and plans to continue in the future also thanks to the incredible hard work of Svenja van der Tol, Andrea Schmelz, Sonia Della Sala, Lyda Michopoulou, and Patrycja Figarska.

The re-launched version of the Agora Mentorship project mainly consists of:

1. Mentor-mentees couples or groups consisting of one mentor and up to four mentees, according to the mentors’ availability.
2. The Agora for Newbies session, which is held in the shape of an Agora simulation.
3. Online preparation of participants via Facebook page through explanatory posts.
4. Live and online helpdesk during the Agora, meant to answer all doubts and questions. The live helpdesk is available during lunch and coffee breaks, while the online helpdesk can be reached through chat on the HRC Facebook page during plenaries.

Missed your chance to apply this time? Stay tuned for Spring Agora Kraków 2018, where we will prove that three times is a charm!

If you want to know more about HRC and have doubts about anything, please approach us during Agora at the Fair or at our Helpdesk.

Written by Sonia Della Sala, AEGEE-Salerno

Agora Mentorship, the aspiring project of the Human Resources Committee, which will be actively reintroduced during Agora Enschede, aims at making the members more aware of what is happening during the big Statutory Meeting. No more people with the “what the hell is going on” face and, hopefully, no more sleeping beauties as well.

Each Agora, we see a lot of people applying without having sometimes any clue of what is an Agora and get easily lost or with the rather confusing AEGEE “slang” that is frequently used, such as “CIA”, “Prytanium”, “proposal”. With the Agora Mentorship System, we dream to make the Agora (especially if it is the first one) a little bit less scary and confusing, enabling participants to fully enjoy and participate.

Agora Mentorship had previous versions in 2015, but now the HRC is bringing it back.  Namely because it  is one of the HRC’s most visible projects, and a perfect example of how the Human Resources Committee wants to tackle the issues AEGEEans are facing, making them more familiar with the structure of the association and preparing them into exploring their potential within it.

Agora Mentorship has had a number of different stages. As you may have already noticed we have launched open calls for mentors (meaning experienced AEGEEans with significant knowledge about the Agora and the whole organisational structure) and mentees (meaning the newcomers or the people who want to learn more and eventually become mentors during the next launch of the Project). Currently, we have 27 mentors and 62 mentees, which are grouped according to the needs expressed by the mentees.

Apart from the pairing, HRC has been working into actively preparing mentors into their demanding job by collaborating with other Bodies, as the Chair Team and the Juridical Commission. This preparation involved preparatory Hangouts/Skype meetings in which we discussed the duties they have, but also the knowledge needed to properly inform and mentor their mentees.

Besides that, we have also sent reading material to both the mentors (more advanced) and mentees (basics) to prepare themselves individually. Next to our Skypes, all mentors also had their own meetings with their mentees, varying from two-hour-long-Skypes to Facebook chat groups.

During the Agora, apart from the pairs, Agora Mentorship Project will be available for every single participant! Yes, you read it correct! We would like to thank the local organisers for supporting our idea of having a live helpdesk, meaning a place where participants can come and meet us, HRC members (during coffee breaks and lunches). Furthermore, we will also provide the possibility to ask clarifications and questions about the Agora through our online helpdesk (during plenary). Just write on our Facebook page (try not to complain about the food or the gym). Speaking of which, we have already started explaining the basics by daily posts. So be sure you pressed the like button! Last but not least, HRC members will hold the Agora for Newbies Workshop during the Agora. So if you are a fresh member, join us.

Closing this article,  we want to invite the participants of the Agora to come and meet us during the Fair or at our live helpdesk, in order not only to learn more about the Agora but also explore the possibilities and support our committee is offering to them and their locals.

Written by Elena Panagopoulou, on behalf of Human Resources Committee

After one year in Brussels as Secretary General and counless experiences both with her local AEGEE-Nijmegen and at the European level, Svenja van der Tol has been really active in bringing back to life the Human Resources Committee of AEGEE-Europe and she is now candidating as Coordinator of the Youth Development Working Group. We interviewed her about it. 

The AEGEEan: Could you introduce yourself and your story in AEGEE?

Svenja: Besides a master student in Linguistics (although not studying as much as I maybe should [she laughs, ed.]), I am currently the Speaker of the Action Agenda Coordination Committee and responsible for the Agora Mentorship project that was relaunched by the Human Resources Committee. Before these activities, I have done quite some other things in AEGEE, including a year as Secretary General of the Comité Directeur (2015-2016), a year as Secretary of my own local AEGEE-Nijmegen (2012-2013) and being co-Editor-in-Chief of two editions of the Key to Europe (2013-2014 and 2015-2016). There is probably more, but not all of it is interesting to mention here, although you can find the full list in my candidature (hint, hint).

How did you meet with AEGEE?

I joined the introduction period of AEGEE-Nijmegen in 2011, because I had just moved to a new city and I was looking for a way to make new friends. The promised cheap travels and cultural exchanges seemed to be a nice added bonus. I learned rather fast though that AEGEE has a lot more to offer than just meeting people and travelling around Europe, so since then I have accepted it as my crazy, but never the less incredibly loved second family.

What are your plans if you are elected as coordinator of the Youth Development Working Group?

First and foremost, I would like to use my term as coordinator – if elected – to properly define the focus of this completely new Focus Area (pun intended), and especially the task division and specific role of the to-be-established Working Group, since we also have other bodies that are working in this field and I would like to combine rather than waste our resources. Since it is what the Working Groups are supposed to do, it will not be a surprise that I would also like to provide locals and fellow European Bodies with the means and support needed to implement the Action Agenda objectives. The exact actions that will make these two things happen will be decided together with my future team members, since the Working Group is not a one (wo)man show.

How are you going to contribute to this group?

As the coordinator, I consider my task to be the management of resources within the Working Group, meaning that I want to make sure all members can contribute with their own expertise and ideas to the work of the Working Group as a whole, while also ensuring that the Working Group functions as a team in which everyone feels heard and respected. Besides that, I would also feel the responsibility to ensure that an Activity Plan is created and, together with my future team, succesfully implemented.

You worked in many different positions in AEGEE. Which one is the best for you?

I have indeed done quite some things in AEGEE already, but I cannot pick one that is or was the best or most suitable for me. All the experiences I had together have given me the experience that I have right now, and often they have been a support to each other – like how I can use my experience in the Comité Directeur now to support the Network in other ways, such as answering questions that require rather specific knowledge. Having said that, however, for the upcoming year(s?), I would like to orientate myself mostly in the field of internal education and youth development as a whole, since I find these two are very important topics and I see a role for myself there to support them.

You have been really ACTive in the Action Agenda Coordination Committee, why did you decide to focus on Youth Development specifically?

First of all, I was already more involved in this Focus Area during the European Planning Meeting in Zagreb, where I supported the Comité Directeur as Drafting Manager, by attending and moderating the sessions on drafting the objectives for this Focus Area specifically, which gave me a good understanding of the direction the attendants would like to take with it. Besides that, out of personal interest and a strong belief that youth development is the core of many things in AEGEE, I would really like to make the Youth Development Focus Area more than words, but implement it into concrete actions and – pun intended again – developments.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Firdevs Cazim

There is a body in AEGEE that deals with what is most important in our association: members. It’s the Human Resources Committee, working on the wiki, knowledge transfer and mentorship system among others. We spoke with the soon-to-be-former speaker of the HRC, Carmelo De Marco from AEGEE-Agrigento, who was a Member of the Month nominee some time ago.

The AEGEEan: Please describe yourself.

Carmelo: I am from Agrigento, Sicily, in the South of Italy. I am 1.78 metres tall, I’m 25 years old and what I want is world peace!

What? This is not a beauty pageant?  The AEGEEan’s interview?!?!  Oh… Ok! So… I’m a luthier (yes, I make guitars), a musician, an engineering student, a traveller, and an AEGEE addict!

… But I’m trying to quit, fortunately without any results!

What is your experience in AEGEE?

I discovered AEGEE in 2012: a friend of mine posted a video on Facebook about a cultural exchange organised by AEGEE-Agrigento in Belgrade. “What is that? Can I participate?” I wrote him, and now I’m here. It completely changed my mind about Europe, about integration, about friendship… It has completely changed me!

Since then, I have been to seven Agorae, six Summer Universities, a couple of pre-agora events, one EPM, one NWM, and I don’t know exactly how many RTCs, LTCs, official and unofficial “small” events around Europe as organiser, participant, helper or all of them together. I was HR responsible in my Antenna (Agrigento) in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 I joined the HRC as member. I quickly became Fair responsible for both Agorae and I was elected speaker one year later.

What is the best memory of your life in AEGEE?

In my head, I have a kind of big amazing puzzle made of all the experiences I had in AEGEE. That’s why I can’t choose only one piece of it as best memory. But I want to share a relevant moment of my life in AEGEE with you: it was during AgorAsturias, my first speech on stage as speaker of the HRC. I was really nervous, and I thought “they will all be there to listen to you, you will have a lot of eyes on you!”  On the stairs my legs were shaking… When I was on stage I looked at the people and I discovered that you can sleep on the chairs in so many different ways. I promised myself I will try them all!

What is the HRC?

HRC is the Human Resources Committee. Our role is to support and to help the development of Human Resources in AEGEE, in all fields. We worked on the Wiki, we created and modified documents and materials related to Human Resources and Knowledge Management, we are still developing some ways to help locals and new members of AEGEE. We want to create online trainings and a well prepared trainers database, that’s why we are collaborating, or we will, with the NetComs, the Academy, the ITC and all the bodies of AEGEE.

On what the HRC is currently working?

Right now, we have two big projects that we are trying to develop. One is to directly help the locals, maybe with the collaboration of the NetComs, but we still have a lot to do about it.

The other one is the Mentorship System during Agora: if you were there at the last two Agorae, you saw some people with a big blue M on the badge for sure: they were Mentors! The HRC Agora Mentorship Programme aimes to support new AEGEEans during their first Agora through activities such as knowledge transfer, motivation, involvement and inspiration. All the new members that apply have a Mentor with great experience in AEGEE, ready to answer to all their questions (all the questions not related to AEGEE will not have any answer).

When speaking about Human resources, what is the most important thing AEGEE needs?

AEGEE in an association based on people, the most important thing AEGEE needs is the easiest at the same time: you! You are the power that moves our association, AEGEE simply needs people who want to develop and improve themselves, because AEGEE gives you this opportunity, directly or indirectly. You just have to go out on the field and play your game.

What are your future plans in AEGEE (and in life)?

My “circle” in AEGEE is already at its latest stage, I’m working on the knowledge transfer to share my experience with the new members. My real (or just other) life takes me a lot of time, and if, in the beginning I attended an event every one or maximum two months, now I can go only one or two times per year. Probably I will go to Agora Bergamo, I think as HRC member, but for sure not as HRC speaker [we have elections during these days and I am not a candidate n.a.]. I will be still active in my local, and for sure “See you somewhere in Europe”!

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona