She started her adventure with AEGEE in 2013 through Summer Universities, then actively participating in her antenna, AEGEE-Budapest. She was in her local board for two times, attended almost every local event and currently she is a member of the Mediation Commission. Recently, she was also main organiser of the conference “Education for the Present, Democracy for the Future”. She is Petra Buruzs, and she is our Member of the Month of April, with her work before and during her last – at least this is what she said – Agora being recognised with this nomination.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a few things about yourself?

Petra: I am Petra, from Budapest, and I do love my city but lately you can find me there, if Budapest is hosting an event. I love to organise, or coordinate or help and discover Budapest with participants but I am also addicted to travelling and I am aware of it. Nowadays I am still writing my thesis about AEGEE, and organising Erasmus+ projects.

When did you join AEGEE? Which projects do you work for?

Considering the fact that I kind of grew up in the voluntary and youth work field, it was just a matter of the time when I would be an AEGEE member. The magic moment came in 2013, when I met with Agnes Deme who was organising the SU in Budapest and after it I just went with the flow. My path in AEGEE was step by step: I started with active participation, later on HR mid-leader, then Vice-President of Internal Relations and Secretary as a board member, so basically I was there at almost all the local events and projects. Later on I started to open up more towards the European level as Sub-Com, and lived with the CD54 as CD assistant. Currently I am still a member of the Mediation Commission.

What kind of activities do you usually do in the Mediation Commission?

You cannot specify it, but there are several activities, according to the local’s need. For sure you have to be there and give suggestions, advice, NDAs and sometimes concrete decisions. In my term I would love to create a template which clarifies to members the difference between the advisory and the official cases.

What is your feedback as Main Organiser of the conference “Education for the Present- Democracy for the Future”?

That it was an honour to organise it; the Franck Biancheri award gave the huge opportunity to our local and the Network to organise, cooperate and participate to the conference. To experience that incredible amount of trust from the Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri was already a huge excitement and to find out the learning points of the co-operation was also a nice experience. So I can just suggest to locals to apply for next year!

Can you tell us something about the content of the “AEGEE Alumni event- Back to Budapest”? Which was the aim of this event?

The aim was to gather three generations of AEGEEans and provide a safe space for sharing experiences, memories, points of view and to realise again and again that we can still learn from the past and implement it in future, in terms of structure, motivations, multicultural environment, and creative  co-operational ways as well. Also the General Assembly of the Les Anciens took place and celebrated the years of success that we already left behind us.

Tell me the thing you like the most in AEGEE and why. 

Unconditional trust. – In the way that you have that playground under your feet, you can find several AEGEEans for support if it is needed but at the same time you can realise your crazy ideas and feel the seriousness, even if you are open up for sponsors and externals. In the way that if you would like to visit a city and you are searching for a host, we are able to trust blindly and give our house key to a person, of whom I only know he or she is also an AEGEE member. In the way that after twenty years you could hear a story with perfect details, like it just happened yesterday, and our connections (or babies) keep us together, in touch, in friendship or relationships. In the way that personal conflict might happen, but you still say that you are or you were an AEGEE member and it is a lifelong learning experience. In the way that you know if there is an AEGEE sticker, that place will be cool even if it is on another continent.

Which skills did you develop in AEGEE?

Let me list up with some example:

– Creativity – To create a song together with AEGEE-Budapest for Heidelberg who just stole our flag (during EPM 2017) or drawing flip-charts with closed eyes according to some instruction (during TNT Cluj 2016) or explain to a very strickt russian train conductor that you have a ticket, but you just cannot prove it, because your friend Balint Caesar, who is still not there two minutes before the departure time, has it (during NWM-Moscow 2016);

– Problem solving skills – The police came for a one-by-one check up, since during the European Night we were too loud (during Barcelona-Utrecht-Budapest Exchange 2015) or the canoe flipped over in the middle of the Velence lake and also the police came to rescue our participants (during Funtastic4 Summer University 2016);

– General IT skills – design trainings in Budapest, use of several communication channels (like Slack and Telegram) and during my secretary work with Intranet, supporting the members of my antenna from the background;

– Selective listening – During every event when you are an organiser;

– Communication – Internal and external as well, even if you are little and your voice is really quiet.

And I believe that there are many other skills I have not even realised yet.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari 

For this article, we interviewed the Main Organizer Marina Klanjčić and the EPM Zagreb PR team. This statutory event will take place between the 23rd and the 27th of February. Listen to the EPM Zagreb PR Team to get to know everything about the motivation for organising an EPM and how EPM Zagreb is structured around the topic of populism.

The AEGEEan: Could you tell us a bit more about the history of your Local?

EPM Zagreb PR Team: AEGEE-Zagreb was founded back in 1993, and, since then, we have been getting more active and more prominent, both in Zagreb and in AEGEE, every year! While we do not rival some locals in size, with highly motivated people we have achieved a lot and we do not want to stop now – just to prove size is not all that matters [she winks, ed.].

We decided to hold the Advent event “Zagreb ADVENTure: Walking in the Christmas Wonderland” due to the fact that our city was declared the best Christmas destination in all of Europe last year, and we wanted to share this joy with the Network! Most of the members who are currently active have been in AEGEE for no more than two years, but we are already becoming pros at event organisation – even more will come, we promise you!

Why did you decide to organise an EPM?

The idea of organising a European Planning Meeting in Zagreb came years ago, when our former president, Zvonimir Canjuga, who is currently the Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe, participated in EBM Valletta back in 2013.

For years and years he waited, and then last year, when he decided the Antenna was finally ready to organise an event of such magnitude, he presented his idea to the Board of AEGEE-Zagreb, who backed him fully! We were overjoyed when we received the news during Spring Agora in Bergamo! Even though we lost Zvonimir to the CD, we knew our team would be able to carry on successfully [she smiles, ed.].

How is the organisation going so far? Is everything running as expected?

This great adventure of organising an EPM is quite a challenge indeed, but nothing is impossible if you have the spirit! So, even the obstacles we face do not seem so terrifying, and every next one seems like even less of a problem if you look at those we have already overcome!

A bunch of active members in the Antenna are involved in the organisation, and that is the key of every successful project. We always offer support and help to one another whenever we need it, and this team of ours is what keeps us going strong! Together we can and will achieve greatness, just wait until February and see for yourself!

What is the thing that will make this EPM more special than the previous ones?

Without giving out our secrets, AEGEE Zagreb will definitely show you that there is more in Croatia than just the seaside, and we will bring our traditional hospitality into the organisation of the EPM, which we believe is something that was missing from the statutory events for a really long time! When we say we are a city of million hearts, we do mean it and we certainly plan to show it [she smiles, ed.].

How will you deal with the topic of the EPM “Europe under Siege: Populism and Anti-European Agitation”?

We will cooperate closely with the content managers, and there are going to be constructive discussions on the topic. The rise of populism is an actual current problem, which we believe all of us can relate to as engaged Europeans, having experienced the radicalisation of the society, making the future much different from the world we knew and grew up in. Overall, we are happy to be discussing something that many perceive as a serious threat to the kind of Europe we dream of and promote in AEGEE.

What is the one thing that participants must see or visit when they come to Zagreb?

Zagreb is often nicknamed “Little Vienna”, but that definitely does not mean we are in anyone’s shadow! While it may not be chock-full of instantaneously recognisable landmarks on every single corner, we have our fair share of unique sights that will leave you breathless! However, what you must experience in the city is its special atmosphere, due to our position on the crossroads of many different civilisations and cultures, making this area into a huge melting pot, with influences from the north, the south, the east and the west. You need to feel it to believe it!

Is there any advice you would give to Antennas that plan on hosting a future European Planning Meeting?

Our advice is to work hard, to be motivated, and, above all, to form close bonds with your entire team. To value everyone’s input and to have much fun in the process. To believe in yourself and push yourselves to the limits, and beyond. To out-best your best and to never lose your enthusiasm. To make new friends in the whole process. Those moments where you feel overwhelmed will soon pass, and you will come out of it even stronger than before. The end result, we are sure, will be well worth the sleepless nights. This was undoubtedly the right choice to make and a cause to fully commit ourselves to.

What should the participants expect after their experience of the EPM and the city of Zagreb?

The city of million hearts will keep you warm and motivated to make a change in your local for a long time after the EPM is over. We are absolutely certain that all of you will return from Zagreb with nostalgia and a wish to come back! And we will be more than happy to welcome you back!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

You might have seen him a lot during the five days of the Spring Agora 2014, answering questions politely and always willing to help. Costas Deltouzos, pillar of AEGEE-Patra, was elected member of the month of June. In his ten year career in AEGEE he covered several positions, both in the European and local level, but his time in the association isn’t over yet, he told us. 

The AEGEEan: Costas, tell us something about yourself.

Costas: Well what to say about me… I was born in Athens 34 years ago, but I have been living in Patra for almost 15 years, so I kind of feel like this city is my home. I have graduated from Electrical and Computer Engineering department and I’m working towards my PhD in Computer Networks. As a true AEGEEan I really like to travel and meet people from all over the world.

The AEGEEan: How, when and why did you joined AEGEE?
Costas: One of my best friends went to a Network Meeting in 2002 (called Regional Meeting back then) and when he came back he was ecstatic about how great it was. I was curious about this organisation, but also a bit sceptical, so I started going to the weekly meetings of AEGEE-Patra. I decided to join AEGEE-Patra in April 2003 and I took part in the Summer University organised by Patra as a helper. I can definitely say it was a life-changing experience.

The AEGEEan: How many Agorae have you attended?
Costas: My first Agora was right after that Summer University, so it was Autumn Agora Zaragoza 2003. During these 11 years that I’ve been a member, I’ve missed more than half Agorae for various reasons. So I have attended… [calculating ed.] 9 Agorae and 4 EBMs.

The AEGEEan: Who came out with the idea of organizing an Agora? And how did you end up being the main organizer?

Costas: As the last Agora that took place in Greece was back in 2002, it was a dream of many Greek AEGEEans to bring Agora back to its roots. During these years several boards of Athina, Peiraias or Patra had considered hosting an Agora but unfortunately none of them decided to apply. It was already in 2012 that some “oldies” started looking at the possibility of hosting an Agora somewhere in Greece. Patra proved to be the best option, because the gym and conference center were in an ideal location. The core team was a mixture of old and young members from several Greek locals and I was chosen as main coordinator because I was the most experienced member from Patra. 

The AEGEEan: What was the most thrilling moment during Sping Agora Patra 2014?
Costas: The most thrilling moment for me was the closing ceremony. It was the end of a long journey that started one year ago when we were given the responsibility to organise the Agora. After spending countless hours working for it and many sleepless nights, I was among the team of organizers and I was happy and relieved that nothing went really bad.

The AEGEEan: If any, what was the most tiring moment you experienced during the preparation and the five days of the Agora?

Costas: During the preparation we had calmer and busier periods, but in general things were going rather smoothly. There were some crisis moments where we stressed a lot, with the biggest one being a couple of months before the Agora when the administration of the gym announced us that we could not stay there. We started lobbying to change this decision and had drafted a plan B in case it would not work. Eventually, we managed to solve everything and the crisis was averted.

During the Agora after spending the first two days (and few days before it) with almost no sleep, I was really exhausted. But after a good night’s sleep, I was up and running till the end of the Agora. We had our crisis, but we managed to solve everything.

The AEGEEan: How did you manage to coordinate not only your local, but all the Greek locals while preparing the Agora?
Costas: Since there were a lot of people involved from various Greek locals, gathering all of them in one place was really hard. The RTC that AEGEE-Patra organized in December, served also as a meeting of Agora organizers, but we didn’t manage to have another big meeting.

Seen the need to coordinate people geographically scattered, we established an HR team, whose task was to recruit members and assign them to the different teams we had. This team had members from various Greek locals and was leaded by the former President of AEGEE-Europe: Manos Valasis. During the Agora the HR team organised the shifts of the helpers. As you can imagine this team was one of the most important for organising the Agora.

The AEGEEan: What are your upcoming projects?
Costas: At the end of Agora, my term in the board of AEGEE-Academy finished as well, so I do not hold any board position anymore in any of the European bodies of AEGEE. But this is not the end of my AEGEE career. I am still serving the Academy as IT assistant and the SUCT as advisor/assistant. Also to keep myself even more busy, I joined the Key to Europe team as a Research and Statistics Manager. 

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia