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

Spring Agora Patra is just around the corner and we will vote for a new Comité Directeur. After two years, we are going to have (up to) seven new faces in the CD House in Brussels. As you might remember, during Spring Agora Rhein-Neckar the current CD decided to run for another year and they were all reconfirmed. Only Szabina Hellinger and Dávid Székely, both from AEGEE-Budapest, ran for a position in the Comité Directeur, but David later withdrew and Szabina was not elected.

In Patra we will have three candidates for the position of President of AEGEE-Europe: Léa Charlet (AEGEE-Paris), Paul Smits (AEGEE-Enschede) and Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen). The result still is  hard to predict and we may assist to the second round of voting between the two who received the highest amout of votes. According to the CIA (Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense ed.), in the current case, where there is more than one candidate, the new Presidente of AEGEE-Europe must be elected with the absolute majority. With three candidates, reaching the 50% + 1 of the preference is unlikely to be reached. So most probably, there will be a need to vote a second time. For the second election candidates will need only a simple majority.

At first the choice of the Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe seemed simple, with Matthijs Overhaal (AEGEE-Tartu) as the sole candidate. However, the application of Antonija Parat (AEGEE-Zadar) reopened the games. Here the same rule as for the President: absolute majority is needed. With two candidate the majority will probably be reached already in the first voting. Tercio Terencio (AEGEE-Genova) submitted his application for Secretary of AEGEE-Europe on the 22nd of April, but it still have to approved by the Juridical Commission.

Among the regular CD members, we can choose four out of five candidates: Aleksandra Kluczka (AEGEE-Kraków), Bartosz Sudorowski (AEGEE-Zielona Góra), Holger Schmitt (AEGEE-Berlin), Ivan Bielik (AEGEE-Brno) and Mayri Tiido (AEGEE-Tartu). Pauline Létard (AEGEE-Toulouse) withdrew her candidature last week with an announcement to the Network. She stated:

“I would like to inform you that I have decided to withdraw my candidature for Member of the Comité Directeur. In January when I decided to candidate, I was sure of my motivation. This is not the case anymore. I think a candidate for Comité Directeur needs to be 100% sure of her or his motivation and come to the CD house full of energy.” The fact that devoting one year of your life to the needs of a network requires a lot of motivation was stressed, and it’s remarkably honest that Pauline admitted that she wasn’t sure of her motivation.

In order to be elected, regular members of the Comité Director need to receive at least one third of the total amount of votes. That means that only the candidates who reach the 33% of the preferences will be elected as member of the Comité Directeur. This is possible as you will be able to vote for more candidates at the same time, so it’s not an either/or choice but you get to pick your best four.

Unluckily there still is no candidate for the position of Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe. The financial director is, one of the three mandatory positions in the board of AEGEE-Europe. Which means that we will not have a complete board until a Financial Director is elected. But, as many times before, someone will probably decide to run during the Agora after discussing the matter with Anna Gots (current Financial Director).

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

Joris Veenhuis (AEGEE-Maastricht) was elected in the past Autumn Agora Zaragoza as one of the members of the Juridical Commission. In just a few days, at Spring Agora Patra, he runs again for the same position in order to bring experience and continuity to the work of the JC. The AEGEEan has talked to him about what he has learnt during this time at the JC, and his plans for the next term if elected.

The AEGEEan: Tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where do you come from, what do you study?

Joris: I am Joris from AEGEE-Maastricht, and I try to complete masters European Law and Administrative Law after having completed a bachelor on European Law.

The AEGEEan: When and how did you join AEGEE?

Joris: Well I knew AEGEE-Drienerlo legend Paulus from before my AEGEE time and he told me to go on a summer university because it was awesome. I signed up without ever meeting a single AEGEE-Maastricht member and I went to Istanbul. I was sold! Why were these local students organising this awesome time without getting any money? I wanted to do the same for others!

When I came home, I went on Erasmus for a year, to a city without AEGEE (AEGEE-Edinburgh, where are you!?), and I forgot about it for a bit, but two years later I went on another SU, and became an active member immediately after!

The AEGEEan: You have a broad experience at the JC, first as subcommissioner and afterwards as a member elected in Zaragoza. What have you learnt during all this time?

Joris: So much! Of course I’m starting to know the CIA inside out now, but, more interestingly, the practicalities of the European Level, the work the other bodies do and the difficulties they have. There’ve also been quite some questions that deal with national legal systems and their laws of association and that can be very interesting (for a boring law student).

But also the people, starting with Diana Tupchiienko, our team of subcommies, then Atanas Nachkov is quite an awesome help considering that he’s supposed to be retired, the people in the bodies that we work together with, the bodies that we organise elections for. I don’t know, I’m just starting to see the whole puzzle clearer and clearer and I’m glad to be a piece of it.

The AEGEEan: You have also worked with some of the other candidates. What do you think of all of them?

Joris: Gloria Llopart and Claudio Gennaro became subcommissioner together with me and we worked together on the JC entry tests, so I know they are capable people and that I can work with them. They stayed on as subcommies after I was elected JC and they helped organised working group elections, gave us input on questions, handled stuff independently so I know they can do the job and I’m really glad they’re candidating.

I only Jakub Oleksy know from organising the EBM and I know he’s a good guy and he did a good job there but I’m really sorry he didn’t become a subcommie first. That way he could have taken away some of the doubts about his English skills that were raised during Zaragoza and have gained some more experience with the CIA and the job.

The AEGEEan: And what about you – which do you think are your strongest points?

Joris: A good legal English (if not for my Dutch accent), good legal knowledge, experience in the JC, experience organising/being in the board at the local level, loyal, creative.

The AEGEEan: Do you plan to bring any “big” changes to the JC, or would you rather strive for a continuity?

Joris: Continuity for sure, but after this Agora we’re gonna be three elected members for the first time – which is very good, as it will make us less dependent on everyone to be there – but that means we’re also gonna need a bit more structure and I want to create a clear system that makes sure all questions are addressed quickly, and people always know their question is being handled, even at those moments when we’re all busy and maybe some are entirely unavailable. I feel we have not been as professional with this as we could have been.

The AEGEEan: You have also been involved in some of this Agora’s proposals. What do you expect from them?

 Joris: There are three proposals from the JC and each of them is a small step to make the CIA better, more clear and easier to understand, and this is supposed to be a process: (if I get elected) I plan to do this for every Agora, and I already have some ideas for the next (and I think that should also involve removing some redundant parts). I think making sure the CIA on the end of the term is better than it was on the beginning should be a task for every Juridical Commission.

Then we also helped the other proposers to make the best of their proposals, but I’ll let the proposers explain those; the JC is neutral. The proposal on scrapping nationalities and countries will be a very interesting discussion I think!

The AEGEEan: The JC has also been holding talks with the Election Observation Project, who plan to observe the next Agora elections. What do you think of this idea, and do you plan any further cooperation?

Joris: I’ve been actively involved in these talks and I’m also on the project’s mailing list, and I absolutely love the idea of the EOP as a whole. It’s a perfect way to really achieve something that’s in our core values instead of just telling others about our position. It will also provide our members with yet more ways to travel, to learn, to be active!

As for observing the Agora elections, of course as having been actively involved in the election organisation I know with how much integrity they are organised, but for me, that’s a reason to welcome these observers and to show them that. Transparency is an essential part of democracy. Plus it will be an opportunity to give our EOP members some experience.

So we fully supported the idea, but we did insist on drafting a document on the conditions of these observations, to stop it from making AEGEE more bureaucratic, to keep everything transparent and to make sure we can fulfil our obligations as Juridical Commission in supervising the elections. The document will be presented at the Agora.

The AEGEan: AEGEE has many Law students but sometimes it is said to be rather hard to find subcommissioners. If elected, how do you plan to deal with this?

Joris: Actually I don’t think it’s that hard. We’ve had a great subcommissioner team since I’ve been part of it, and we even had some applications during the last half-year, without incessantly bugging people about it.

At the Agora we’re quite visible and I think we have the image of a professional body with a clear supportive task, that people want to be part of. The only thing that makes it a bit harder is that we need people with a background in law.

But if anyone reading this interview is interested, please email juridical@aegee.org or visit us at the Agora fair!

 The AEGEEan: And, as we have asked the rest of the candidates: do you have any plan to bring the tasks of the JC closer to the Network?

 Joris: Well, I think it’s most important to bring the Network (locals, delegates) closer to the Agora and the JC is just a tool to help with that – use us! The more members (delegates but also visitors!) listen critically during the Agora and dare to say something, the better decisions we as an association will take. It’s in my opinion ridiculous that you can have an entire plenary without anyone asking anything because really, if you listen there will be something that you want to know.

But in order to be critical you have to know a little bit how things work, and that’s where we can help you!

Atanas is gonna give a workshop on just that, and during the Chair meeting we decided to give it a prominent place in this Agora’s program: right after the opening plenary with parallel only the Agora Speed Course for the least experienced. So watch out for the Dark Agora Army!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Léa Charlet, 24 years old from AEGEE-Paris, is one of the three candidates for the position of President of AEGEE-Europe. She studies Law and European institutions and has been member of AEGEE-Paris since september 2011. She was HR, Secretary and President in her local and involved in the European Level as Fair Manager EBM Valletta 2013, Trainer of the Academy, Public Relations responsible of Speak Up! (2011-2012), CD assistant and, last but not least, Project manager of Y Vote 2014.

The AEGEEan: What do you think the main task as a president will be?

Léa: For me, being President means representing all the members. Once you are elected, it’s not like you can do whatever you want, you have to listen and take into consideration the needs of your members. The main challenge is to balance all of these opinions and to do what’s best, in the end, for the organisation. As President of the Comité Directeur, you need to keep the team together. You need to facilitate the creation of the vision of this Comité Directeur. You need to make everyone listen too, and make them achieve their goals and their own vision.

The AEGEEan: If you are going to be elected as president of AEGEE-Europe, what will be the first thing you will do?

Léa: First things first, I will find a week before the start of the knowledge transfer to organize a team building. I think this is a fundamental start. Working and living with six people for a year is difficult (even if I know  most of the people applying quite well). We need to find a common vision, and we need to be ready to accept each other, adapt, and to help each other learn and grow. Second would be the creation of an activity plan. Our programs need to be merged. We need to prioritize and work to actually achieve everything in one year time. I do not always believe in compromises, but more in creating our own plan, our own vision, where nobody feels left out of the process.

The AEGEEan: What is leadership for you?

Léa: I am playing the trumpet for quite some time now and I have also been conducting for a couple of years now. I have always been amazed by this feeling you have when being in the middle of the orchestra, playing your individual part following the conductor, but at the same time knowing every single other part from other instruments. This is how I see leadership. It’s not always about being the best in something, but much more having the overview, helping other people reaching what they want to achieve with others,  looking in the same direction, making them feel part of something bigger.

The AEGEEan: How would you describe in one sentence the current situation of AEGEE, regarding internal structures and activities?

Léa: Not reaching its potential.

The AEGEEan: Luis Alvarado Martinez was President for two years and he has a lot of charisma. What would you do differently than him?

Léa: I actually met Luis on my first event, my first month in AEGEE, and I was always driven by his vision and his motivation to make our association truly meaningful. I always admired his work as president. That being said, this past two years, the Comite Directeur turned itself towards externals a lot. I think it’s great that we are now really known and appreciated in the different institutions and among other NGOs. I am not saying that the actual Comite Directeur forgot the network, but the pace is hard to follow. Even being an active member and quite aware of what was happening, it’s difficult to have a clear overview of what AEGEE is doing in every sector.

So I would maybe have focused more on bringing the externals to the locals, trying more to consult with the members, in order to bring the Comite Directeur closer to the members. I realized during my internship in the Comite Directeur that it will be a lot of work, and we will have to be really committed to do this the right way, but it also requires will and awareness from the network.

The AEGEEan: In your opininion, is AEGEE really working well enough at all levels?

Léa: You can see in my previous answers that I don’t believe that AEGEE is working as well as it could be. We have a lot of potential, but face a lot of obstacles coming from the organisation itself. I already mentioned and explained most of the problems I saw there and tried to propose solutions: the lack of coordination, of human resources and the difficulty of conserving memories; the flow of great initiatives from the Comite Directeur that are hard to follow by the network, and the fact that we don’t have enough discussion and consultation in the network. We also have to be aware that right now, AEGEE is driven by Summer Universities. Most of our members are joining for this project and aren’t active after. We should work on activating and empowering those members, which could significantly increase the human resources of the organisation.

The AEGEEan: We speak a lot about the gap between the European level and locals. What do you think we need to do to fill it?

Léa: I don’t believe in this separation. The so called ‘European Level’ are regular members, organizing projects of AEGEE-Europe. Most of the time, organizing projects in locals can be just as challenging. The main problem in my opinion is that sometimes locals don’t have the knowledge to organize an event on a topic tackled by a thematic part of AEGEE and thematic bodies are not responsive enough, because they don’t have the human resources nor the capacity to be everywhere. We should work on two things: knowledge in the locals about European bodies, and an increase of human resources in those european bodies. These are the two homework assignments we have to do.

The AEGEEan: On your application you said that “we lack of coordination sometimes“. How would you improve it?

Léa: I meant two things with this sentence: one on a timeframe level and one on a thematic level. Timeframe: most of the events are happening at the same time. We have to cancel a lot, because we are not aware of what is happening in the different parts of the network. Thematically speaking: we have projects, working groups, an action agenda with concrete activities and plenty of space for the locals to do something within these fields, but still we are not always looking in the same direction. We don’t always act like a network. I think here the work of the Action Agenda Coordination team, Netcom and the new Quality Assurance committee are fundamental. They are the link, they are the ones that can help the locals to plan and cooperate.

The AEGEEan: You said “We tend to forget our past”. How will you create a common memory?

Léa: ‘”Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana.

Sometimes we might repeat the good things from the past, but for this, we have to know it. The current Comité Directeur is doing some work on the archive, but as always with archives, there is always something to be done. We have to take it out of the basement, and really give the possibility for our members to read it, digitalize it for example. But, more importantly, we have to start thinking also of the next generation. We need to keep track of the present for the future and we have to realize this in our current activities. Keep track of what we do and how we do it. We can for example take the work The Academy is doing right now, creating a database of trainings, accessible easily; or the ongoing work on the AEGEE Wiki.

The AEGEEan: What do you think is the current status of the relationship with The Academy? If there is a problem, how will you solve it?

Léa: Trainings are here to empower and develop our members, to facilitate the learning process. Right now, in my opinion we have two main actors: Network Commission, who is aware of the flow of their locals and what trainings they would need right now, and The Academy, who has the resources and the will to create trainings. What I would really like to see in the future is more cooperation between those two actors: having trainings the organisation needs, in the part of the Network which needs it the most. I think a really important point here is to rethink the point and the concept of regional training courses. This should be done in cooperation with the Academy

The AEGEEan: Let’s speak about thematic conferences, can you give an example?

Léa: A thematic conference for me is firstly meant to inform and inspire our members. The EBM is a big example, but we can do much more. In the past six months, we organized nine thematics conventions with a part of the Y Vote team, always about different topics. We realized, talking to enthusiastic participants, that it was something really missing in our Network. I’m not talking here about another 300 people conference, but medium ones, with 50 to 100 people, on the four differents focus area of our strategic plan for example.

The AEGEEan: Can you please explain a bit more about the creation of a Secretariat?

Léa: Our headoffice is in Brussels, and we have to realize that to get big grants, big projects take years. We need to have a certain continuity. We can see it in our locals, this is taking time. And especially in this Eurobubble in Brussels, personal connections and personal network are key. A Secretariat can be the bridge between Comité Directeurs changing every year. It would also let the CD focus on the association more than the administrative tasks.

The AEGEEan: Do you think the Network needs to stop enlarging and enforce or should it keep on “watching outside”?

Léa: I don’t think it’s that black and white. We have some of our newest locals that are already extremely active, with a great understanding of what AEGEE is. And some old locals that are just surviving. AEGEE is constantly changing. New locals are joining and some are deleted, it is a natural process. In the past five years, our number of locals decreased quite a lot (around 50), and if we stop getting new locals, we will endanger AEGEE in the next years.

The AEGEEan: 30 years will be a huge achievement, what are you plans?

Léa: 30 years is the achievement of the whole organisation, a celebration for all of us. I don’t have everything perfectly clear already, but I can say that the Comité Directeur should not be alone organizing this event, and I hope that many members (new, current and a bit less new) will be willing to join this initiative. I would love to have the celebration in one of the funding locals, a mix of success stories with oldies and a local willing to contribute.

The AEGEEan: Lately you attended a lot of network meetings, was it because you were interested in the topics or because of CD campaign?

Léa: Since I’ve been a member of AEGEE, I attended all the network meetings of my area (except 1 for exam reasons), so last year in autumn I was also interested to know how it works in another part of the network. I am studying in Brussels, that’s why I went to NWM Utrecht in december. I also went to Salerno this month, being a member of AEGEE-Bologna it was also a logical area to go. I know Italy as I lived there for more than a year, but I didn’t know this part of the network, and this was also my main goal going there. I can say that now I have a better overview of different regions of our network, nothing in depth of course, but it helped me understand the reality of our locals quite a lot.

The AEGEEan: What are you strengths? And your weaknesses?

Léa: People usually describe me as an energetic, hard working, convinced,  and convincing person. But I would say that I think my biggest strength is that I am always willing to learn. On the weakness part I will have to say that I reaaally need a lot of sleep. I realized it when doing the internship and traveling a lot for Y Vote. I am also a really empathic person, I sometimes tend to be oversensitive to other people problems.

The AEGEEan: Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen) is doing the internship with you in the CD house and Paul Smits (AEGEE-Enschede) came out a little bit as a surprise as a candidate. What do you think about your fellow candidates?

Léa: I attended Leadership Summer School in Sofia with Paul and I appreciate and respect him and his work within our association. I know Réka a bit less in general, but I would say that she has been an asset for the communication in the Y Vote 2014 team and she is a really hardworking person.

The AEGEEan: Why do you think that people must vote for you? What are your plans if you are elected as president?

Léa: Since I entered AEGEE I was kind of interested in becoming part of the Comité Directeur. This might seem like a bit too much, but I have always been a super active member, at local level and european level since the first month I entered. My field of study and the fact that I was spending ¾ on my time on AEGEE work always motivated me to do more.

Why president then? Because I believe I am good at making the link: between people, between projects. I think I can see how to put ideas into practices. My team members are easily becoming friends and motivating people is something that I really enjoy. I would not say that people must vote for me, but that they should if they do believe in my ideas, in my capacity as a president and as a leader.

I wrote my programme already and I would like to highlight that it is a fact that I believe that the members are the most important part of our organisation. Right now most of our members are not active, we have to face it. My main focus would be to help activating those members, in order for AEGEE to become a strong organisation. The external impact of AEGEE cannot happen if we don’t have an impact on our own members first.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

Réka Salamon is a 23 years old girl from Debrecen.  Hungarian by nationality (her first local was AEGEE-Debrecen), German by adoption (she moved in Cologne and she joined AEGEE-Aachen), she is running for the position of President of AEGEE-Europe. If elected, she is going to be the first female President since Agata Pateka from AEGEE- Poznań (2009-2010). She is currently doing the internship for President candidates in the CD house and she is the Content Coordinator of the Europe on Track 2 project of AEGEE-Europe, as she was for the first edition. She joined AEGEE in april 2011 and since then she was engaged in a lot of local activities, being PR responsible and Vice president of AEGEE-Debrecen, and European level too. She currently is: Speaker of the Public Relations Committee, Quality Assurance Responsible of the Quality Assurance Committee and member of the Y Vote 2014 Communication Team.

The AEGEEan: What do you think your main task as the president would be?

Réka: Form a strong team with the CD in Brussels, so we can trust and rely on each other and so all of us can do their best for AEGEE. Working in the headoffice is difficult, the pressure, the workload and “locked together” for a whole year – it has turned out to be an unpleasant experience for many people. The president needs to listen and understand the needs of the team and support them when they need a good motivation to continue.
Another part of my job would be the representation of the association externally – but this cannot happen without maintaining a close link to the Network and being able to really represent young Europeans’ opinion on a daily basis. I have gathered extensive knowledge on the working mechanism of the European institutions during my university years so lobbying for the best interest of AEGEE is a challenge I am going to enjoy.

The AEGEEan: If you are going to be elected as president of AEGEE-Europe, what will be the first thing you are going to do?

Réka: I will go directly to the beach and run into the sea – taking all my friends with me. The same thing will happen if I don’t get elected.

The AEGEEan: What is leadership for you?

Réka: Being a leader is being the inspiration and driving force for the people around you. Coming up with new ideas, motivating your team members and working for the common vision you want to achieve together. Listen to them, understand their reality and support them when needed. Being part of the Comité Directeur – being one of the leaders in AEGEE – is being the guide for the entire association and the strong backbone of the work we are doing to achieve the goals we are setting for ourselves. Always aiming higher, making Europe a better place, little by little.

The AEGEEan: How would you briefly describe in one sentence the current situation of AEGEE, regarding internal structures and activities?

Réka: Decentralised synergy

The AEGEEan: What would you do differently than your predecessor, Luis?

Réka: I have always admired and respected the reckless drive Luis has been moving AEGEE forward and this transformation into a more professional and a more influential AEGEE on the political sphere has been something our founders had dreamt of and a step forward that has been much needed. However, I believe it is time for us to slow down a little regarding the processes in Brussels and let the Network catch up with all the changes on the European level. With a network as wide and diverse as ours, it takes a little more time.

The AEGEEan: Is AEGEE really working well enough at all levels in your opinion?

Réka: AEGEE is working well and I do think our Network is not even aware of the real potential and impact it can have on the European and on the global field. We have some imperfections to fix but with open dialogue and communication we can always aim higher fuelled by our relentless idealism, yet maintain a realistic approach towards our mistakes and do better next time!

The AEGEEan: We speak a lot about the gap between the EU and the locals. What do you think we need to do to fill it?

Réka: We need to strengthen the Network Commission. Their mediator role between these levels is of immense value. The NetCom needs AEGEE-Europe’s support to keep a better overview of the activities, needs and strengths of the locals and to aid the cooperation between European level and local level. Active communication is the key and we cannot rely only on our mailing lists to keep the information channel alive. More network meetings, more live meeting for projects are needed and I would also invest in a new form of training in AEGEE: training for netcommies and for presidents of AEGEE locals.

The AEGEEan: Do you have a strategy about convincing locals to cooperate with other NGOs?

Réka: It is known that I am a strong supporter of local NGO cooperation from the very beginning of my AEGEE life when  co-organised a huge local conference in cooperation with ESN, AIESEC and the local Student Union. We represent the same and similar opinion when it comes to the idea of Europe and our call for the active and aware European citizens of tomorrow can only be amplified if we join forces (and finances). Through examples like this I would try to highlight the benefits of these kinds of cooperations and offer the help of AEGEE-Europe with establishing the dialogue on the local level.

The AEGEEan: How will you make the cooperation with the AEGEE-Academy better? How will you make it strong?

Réka. The Academy holds one of the greatest potentials in strengthening AEGEE’s role as a platform that provides quality education for its members so they can obtain skills and competences they will need in their later life. A strategic meeting needs to be organised with the Academy to develop AEGEE’s training calendar together and also to involve the respective european level bodies (PRC, HRC etc.) to ensure the events uphold to the learning objectives and the participants will both enjoy and learn a lot during the event. At the moment, as the speaker of PRC, I am working on the next PR European School together with the Academy and I hope this event to set an example for the future successful cooperation between an AEGEE body and AEGEE’s trainers.

The AEGEEan: Do you have any strategy to make our voluntary work recognized by the institutions/universities?

Réka: The current CD has already started this process so my contribution is to develop the idea and reach the set objectives. I think I speak for many of us when I say I have learnt more during my 3 years in AEGEE than during 5 years at the university and we have to make this experience count also externally. The implementation of the system of recognising the value of non-formal education in AEGEE is a complex process which should first start with the precise impact measurement and the evaluation of the competences we are gaining through our work, what are the skills that we are developing and how can we measure this development for each member.

Providing our members with certification about the skills developed, making our projects internationally known and ideally, providing the external world with the standard portfolio of an AEGEE member and the skills we are developing are only a few ideas that can help us in ensuring the external world (including our future employers) are aware that the knowledge we gained through this voluntary experience actually – in some cases – is worth more than our degree from the university.

The AEGEEan. Do you think we need to focus on the enlargement of focus on the enforcement?

Réka: With a thorough strategy and preparation, both processes can be maintained. My idea of enforcement is to invest more in the development of the entire Network (without the constraints of the European continent) and even if geographically there are borders on the map, AEGEE’s reality is being a pan-European and transcontinental youth organisation which is an attribute we should all be proud of and a Network we should develop to reach its full potential to have a real impact not only in Europe but also in the global discussions.

The AEGEEan: How will you be lobbying for youth rights?

Réka: When decisions are taken on such a high platform like the so-called Euro-bubble in Brussels, it is always a matter of knowledge and research, who are the key figures and where are those phases in the legislative process where you can let your voice be heard. For instance, during the drafting of the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Commission, the lobby work of AEGEE, the European Youth Forum etc. played a key role in including a separate chapter for the institutional financial support of youth organisations and that wide-scale initiatives like the new Erasmus+ programme recognises and supports the youth as one of the core elements in the development. Former and current CD members were, are and will continue to be there to put pressure on the institutions, to ask questions concerning the inclusion of young people in the decision-making processes and to win over politicians to support our cause by showing the reality of our work: we care about Europe and we are the next generation of future leaders, therefore our opinion matters and should be taken seriously.

The AEGEEan: What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses?

Réka: I am a creative person. My visionary state of mind allows me to think outside the box, to keep calm and solve problems without panicking and to be a crazy workaholic when it comes to turning my vision into reality. On the other hand I am a pragmatic thinker, which means I don’t get too carried away and set ambitious but realistic goals for myself. I am a maximalist, which is only a weakness when you are the last one leaving the office because you cannot leave the work undone and imperfect. Consequently I usually lack sleep. Also, honesty is my core element. You decide whether it’s a strength or a weakness.

The AEGEEan: Léa made her intention of running for presidency a long time ago. Paul came out a little bit as a surprise. What do you think about your fellow competitors?

Réka: I have had the chance to work with both of my fellow candidates and even though we do not know each other perfectly, I truly value their work and the characters I got to know. These days I am mostly focusing on my own projects and the Agora preparations so I only wish them the best of luck on stage and I hope all of us see the challenge ahead as a transformative and lifelong learning experience – at least this is the way how I feel about the elections.

The AEGEEan. Why do you think people must vote for you? What are your plans if you are elected as president?

Réka: I have joined AEGEE exactly 3 years ago with the plan that I want to explore the full potential of this organisation, reinforce its presence as one of the most influential student organisations in Europe, while not losing our identity as a network of young activists, explorers and educators. If elected as president of AEGEE-Europe, I am going to continue my work on balancing our external impact and strengthening the bond of our Network.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

Just a couple of days ago we had found out that, besides Matthijs Overhaal (AEGEE-Tartu), there will be another contender running for Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe. The AEGEEan has talked to Antonija Parat (AEGEE-Zadar), current speaker of the Network Commission and proofreader of The AEGEEan magazine about herself, her plans and ideas on different aspects concerning the association.

The AEGEEan: Antonija, your candidature got us all by surprise. How did you come up with the decision of applying as Secretary General?
Antonija: I have been considering the possibility of applying for Comité Directeur (CD) throughout my term in NetCom, but I was also busy with finishing my studies, since the fall semester was my last semester of classes so I had to wrap everything up and start working on my thesis, which I will have to finish this semester. So I haven’t really had time to sit down properly and think about my future in AEGEE. But when I finally did catch some time, I realized that I still have a lot to give to this organization, so I talked to Luis Alvarado Martinez and Beata Matuszka during the Y Vote Bus Tour UK, and they gave me that final push and convinced me to go for it. I started working on my candidature, and finally submitted it a couple of days ago.

The AEGEEan: Why do you feel that the position of Secretary General fits you best?
Antonija: I think it’s a really interesting and often misunderstood position. When people hear ‘Secretary’, they often think it means being stuck in the office with administration, but I don’t really see it that way. True, there is a lot of administration to deal with, but it’s also the position that allows you to communicate with your teammates, help them coordinate their tasks, work on thematics, help with internal functioning of the association as well as the external representation. It’s a position that requires a great deal of flexibility, and I think a person working as Secretary General should be someone that has a diverse experience in AEGEE, which I think I have. I worked on many different tasks in my local, and my experience as a Netcommie allowed me to get an in-depth understanding of the European level as well. So this position fits my set of skills, but also my personality, since I am a flexible worker, a team player, and a fast learner.

The AEGEEan: So, do you have any experience in administration tasks?
Antonija: Yes, I was the president of my local, and then later I took on the role of vice-president and secretary. Both positions required dealing with administration. And of course, as NetCom Speaker I work on administration on a regular basis.

The AEGEEan: And how has your term as Speaker of the Network Commission helped?
Antonija: It has been incredibly helpful. Being the Speaker of NetCom means that I, along with the rest of the Speaker Team, have to work on managing the team, decide about issues such as reimbursement requests, keep a database of all the relevant information, stay on top of deadlines, reply to emails NetCom receives, manage the mailing lists, and basically keep things in NetCom together. It has been an intense and challenging experience, something I enjoyed a lot and learned a lot from. It definitely played a role in my decision to go for Secretary General.

The AEGEEan: Which is the biggest lesson you have learnt in AEGEE?
Antonija: It’s hard to choose, since being in AEGEE taught me so much, but I probably learned the most about communication. In AEGEE I got to work with people from diverse backgrounds and personalities, and little by little, I learned how to get my point across in the best possible way. Communication is trickier than it seems. Since AEGEE gathers people with different backgrounds and opinions, misunderstandings can easily happen, and it’s important to communicate efficiently: to present information in a clear way, to acknowledge everyone’s opinion, to mediate when necessary, to give constructive criticism when necessary, to separate AEGEE work from friendships, and to constantly be there for your teammates and motivate them.

The AEGEEan: And how did you actually discover AEGEE? You mention in your candidature that it caught you totally “by surprise”.
Antonija: Yes, it was completely random. It was my first year of college, St. Patrick’s Day. My friend told me about this amazing student organization she discovered since they had a presentation at the university the previous day. She told me they were having another presentation, so we decided to go, since we were going to the cafeteria for lunch anyway. I saw the presentation, and I was immediately impressed. That night we had a St. Patrick’s party for students, and there I saw the AEGEEans that were giving the presentation that day. I thought they were the coolest people ever, and I just had to approach them and talk to them. When they told me a bit more about their experience in AEGEE, I was totally convinced, and a few days later I became a member.

The AEGEEan: How would you describe, in a sentence, which is the current status of the organisation?
Antonija: I would say AEGEE is going through a crucial process of transformation, and we have to make sure this transformation is handled in the best possible way.

The AEGEEan: Choose one thing you would like to keep, and one thing you would like to change.
Antonija: I think the current CD, along with the Identity Team, did a very good job in creating a clear identity and visual identity we can use. Having a defined and unified image of what we are and standardized visuals to go with it will definitely help us internally and externally. What I would like to change is this infamous gap between the local and European level. I think we should stop thinking about AEGEE in terms of levels and start realizing that we are all one organization and that we are working for the same goals. I think a lot of it comes down to the way information is handled and presented both to locals and European-level bodies. We can definitely work on improving this.

The AEGEEan: How do you see the process of establishing a secretariat in AEGEE-Europe, and which are your ideas for it?
Antonija: Basically, the idea of Secretariat is to have one or more employed people working for AEGEE to reduce the administration and bureaucracy the CD is currently dealing with, as well as to improve continuity and professionalism in AEGEE. In NetCom we are also dealing with similar problems, so I definitely see a need for this. I think first it would be important to define tasks the Secretariat would take on, and then to find qualified professionals who could work on those tasks. Although they wouldn’t need to be familiar with AEGEE in depth, I think it would also be important to familiarize them with AEGEE to some degree. The financial aspect of having a Secretariat should also be handled before any decisions are made. Of course, the Network also has to have a say in it, so I am looking forward to the Progress Meeting about it that should take place in Patra.

The AEGEEan: You would like to increase the potential of Statutory events. How would you ideally see the Agorae working “at its fullest”?
Antonija: Well I have been to a lot of Agorae, and I generally see that our statutory events are improving a lot: since my first Agora, we have introduced online voting, checking attendance through barcode scanning, better preparation of delegates, better communication between the Chair Team and participants etc. But there are still plenty of improvements to be made. We need a clear strategy on how to use visitors at the Agora, we need to reduce unnecessary procedures, and make sure we are doing more than just fulfilling our obligations there. Agora is a unique opportunity to have up to 1000 AEGEE members (or even more) in the same place, and we should make sure we are using that opportunity to include the participants in more than just voting and clapping when they need to clap. Like I said, we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a lot to be done. There were already some great ideas during the European level meeting in Zaragoza, so I definitely see the potential of improving the Agorae. We just need to find the best way to implement these ideas we develop.

The AEGEEan: You also mention in your candidature that you would like to assist the locals from your Focus Area to establish a new project. What can you tell us about it?
Antonija: It’s something that my locals started discussing during the Agora in Zaragoza (credit for the idea goes to Ana Potočnik), and it’s not really defined yet, so I don’t want to say too much. But basically it would be focusing on the future of our region, which is not addressed often enough in our countries and Europe in general. Our region is often tied to the past, and our generation needs to move on from it and build something new. Everyone seems to love the idea, but there are sensitive issues that could get in our way, so we really need to make sure the concept of the project is well-thought out. We are being careful about it, but if it happens, it would be a great accomplishment for my locals, who I’m already incredibly proud of.

The AEGEEan: If elected, which do you think would be your biggest struggle when moving to Brussels? And what about the thing you would enjoy the most?
Antonija: Strangely, I don’t see so many things I would struggle with. I moved around already, so I wouldn’t have a problem with getting used to a new city. Getting used to the workload of a CD member would be challenging, but I already have a huge workload now, both in AEGEE and my studies. So there is nothing that I see myself struggling with more than any other person. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but I think I would struggle with rain more than anything else. I’m a summer person so I imagine the rain gets annoying after a while. Something I thought I would struggle with, but I actually realized I would enjoy is living with so many other people. I have been living alone for a couple of years and although I’ve enjoyed it, now I feel it’s time for a change. Another thing I would enjoy is the opportunity to work for AEGEE full-time, since it already plays an important role in my life.

The AEGEEan: Tell us three words that would describe yourself.
Antonija: Upbeat, analytical and flexible.

The AEGEEan: And, finally – why should AEGEE members vote for you?
Antonija: I think I have the experience required for this position, and a necessary set of skills that could help me in my work. I think I would also bring a lot of positive energy to the CD team, since I generally get along with people easily, I can handle and give constructive criticism, I am objective and professional in my work, but I can also relax when the work is done and be there for my teammates when they need me. And finally, sorry to go off-topic, but I promised Ana Potočnik I would give a shout-out to our mutual friend who is celebrating her birthday at the Agora, so here it is!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

He  joined AEGEE in 2011 and, after a long experience in the local level as former PR reponsible and current president of AEGEE-Debrecen, he’s now  running for Network Commission at the upcoming Spring Agora Patra. Balázs Kovács, also known as “Bali”, was interviewed by the AEGEEan in order to get more information about himself and his candidature.

The AEGEEan: Being a NetCommie is not an easy task. It is very demanding. What pushed you to apply for this position?
Balázs: I am the type of person who particularly enjoys empowering others while also gaining considerable amount of personal inspiration from fueling co-operation among like-minded people. I enjoy being around and working with and for people on daily matters from a more strategic point of view with a hint of thinking-out-of-the-box kind of a creative approach.

In my opinion, there is still a large need to keep inspiring more members and locals to continue discovering all the potentials this amazing Network embodies.  I believe that even small antennae have a lot of unlocked available resources and co-operations to capitalize from in order to further develop themselves. Thus, once getting elected, I would like to take up the challenge of contributing to empowering antennae nearby to keep on aiming higher as well as boosting their collaborations by offering my ideas and time. Since, I believe, our great predecessors will provide us, potential future Network Commissioners, with a quality transition period filled with attentive knowledge transfer, I believe we will be able to do our very best to keep going on with their quality work as a strong new Network Commission Team.

The AEGEEan: Anna Móricz, the previous NetCom of the region you are from, resigned and an open call was issued for a NetCom Assistant to replace her. Did you apply for that?
Balázs: I have not applied to become the NetCom Assistant since my local duties as a president of AEGEE-Debrecen occupy all my free time substantially.

The AEGEEan: The local activity of AEGEE-Debrecen is very intense. How would you, as a Network Commissioner, motivate the other atennae to do the same? How would you encourage them?
Balázs: I intend to encourage as many members of antennae to participate in numerous cross-border best practice sharing events among each other as well as with other youngsters from different INGYOs. These training events are the most ideal platforms where future collaborations would be born and intense enthusiasm is built which can continue fuel local activity in the long run.

I firmly believe that personal experiences are the best means to ignite a long-lasting flame of passion among volunteers thus I also like to encourage antennae to organize cultural exchanges among each other, especially in their region. The most effective trust building for future professional collaborations (to organize joint thematic events) could be carried out by starting with more informal mutual ventures.

Moreover, if I will elected, I also prefer visiting as many of my potential future antennae as possible right in the beginning of the academic year in order to build trust and bonds we can later build on. I would like to establish our co-operation based on a shared vision and a clearly structured plan.

The AEGEEan: Do you think your studies in Media and Comunication can help you is your task?
Balázs: My addressed studies are among the highlights of my life that taught me a lot about being attentive, alert, self-aware, emphatic, clear, and more concise so I am sure they will help me a lot.

The AEGEEan: Anna was in charge of a relatively small network. If you will be elected, would you like to “keep” only the present locals or extend the current mini network more?
Balázs: As of now, we are in talks and it is yet to be decided based on the opinions and inputs of the antennae nearby as well as on the points of view of the current Network Commissioners. I am open for changes though.

The AEGEEan: Could you explain more about your idea of a mentorship program?
Balázs: I have been a huge fan of inter-generational networking ever since I was a kid. I have done an extensive research on all the lines of my family trees. When I contacted and interviewed distant relatives of mine, one would normally never even hear about, I realized how much is being forgotten and overlooked from our history, even when the resources of knowledge is mostly available for a long time from older generations.

This works in the exact same way in NGOs. I think it should be considered a crucial matter to establish an overall tradition for every current active members of AEGEE to have a personal mentor. The mentors would be former long-time active AEGEEans, ideally of the same local. This could further make us all more interconnected via the association. It would, furthermore, not only enrich our organizational culture but also could lead to slowing down the process of forgetting about our local history.

The AEGEEan: You attended a lot of AEGEE events. How did this manage to change your vision of AEGEE and its aims?
Balázs: I have been very blessed all throughout my AEGEE years. I have joined an amazingly diverse yet well-functioning local team, delivering numerous good results regardless of our HR shortcomings. I attended events enriching me with lifetime lessons, experiences and valuable encounters. AEGEE grew on me and in a very good way.
What attending all those events has done to me in this respect was becoming aware of where I can still contribute while also challenging myself.

The AEGEEan: There is an often-discussed gap between the local and European levels. Would you consider making some implementations to reduce it? In case you have already thought about it, what are the ideas you would like to be put to work?
Balázs: To put it all simple, I would say that I gradually came to realize that AEGEE’s most important strength is essentially its very own obstacle; the immense diversity of our activities. This makes it all hard to present ourselves as a precisely labeled brand serving everyone’s personal needs at once.

It requires a lot of energy, work and dedication to transmit what the European Level means, and it definitely has to become an integral part of all AEGEE events as long as all experienced AEGEEans, from all walks of our association, especially from the EL bodies will actively contribute to coming up with a common initiative about making our members familiar with what the EL deals with. Recording and spreading personal stories could and would make a huge difference, yet it cannot be solely the responsibility of the Network Commission, they entire EL should take an overall ownership of it.

The AEGEEan: Why should people vote for you? What do you think what are your strong points?
Balázs: I am dedicated, flexible, motivated, resourceful, energetic, and creative. I have built up a considerable contact network from other INGYOs up until now from my past NGO work experiences. This, combined with others’ contacts, would allow us to think out of the AEGEE box on a regular basis by cooperating with them after attending each others’ trainings.

I have also applied to some upcoming international large-scale European networking events for this summer, thus I hope I’ll be able to establish further valuable contacts for my potential future NetCom term serving the locals’ future plans.

Furthermore, I enjoy working with people, I am passion-driven and punctual when it comes to communicating, informing and inspiring others but I am also a team player, when it is needed, my general approach serves the best possible common good under all circumstances.

Written by Cosmina Bisboaca, AEGEE-Torino

Another AEGEE member running for the Network Commission. His name is Elmar, he’s 23 and he joined AEGEE-Bakı in 2011. The AEGEEan interviewed him in order to get more information.

The AEGEEan: You have been involved in so many different activities on a European level (Public Relations Committee, Environmental Working Group, Fundraising Assistant of Health4Youth Project) and on a local level (Public Relations, President, Fundraising). How did it help you to improve our Network and gain more knowledge about how it works?

Elmar: You correctly stressed that, I advanced in my career step by step on the local level. In reality, I had some information about AEGEE in 2009, but at that time I thought that they wouldn’t take me as a member if I didn’t know English or I had little experience. Before being a member of AEGEE, I gained experience in various organizations and university clubs, then improved my English. I started as an active member, then became University Coordinator, afterwards I worked as a coordinator of Environmental Working Group (local), next was board member and later I became President. I was working actively on the local level until my presidency term, then I decided to be active on European level in order to carry out some changes. My first activity on European level was as Public Relations Committee (PRC) member. At that time, for the most part of work, I acted as an observer, I got to know their activities, and subsequently, I created a local PRC, which had a beneficial impact on local PR and AEGEE-Bakı activities, at large. As ecology is my major at university, I wasn’t very active in Environmental Working Group (EnWG), though. I participated actively in Health4Youth Project. This was my first experience in an international team. Mayri and Matthijs did their best to make me active. I think it is advantageous to be active on both local and European level, as a local antenna must act together with other locals, apart from local activities. This way, they will share their experience and thus, refine their own network. 

 The AEGEEan: What did you learn while being a Cubcommie of Meltem Darakcı, the current Network Commissioner?

Elmar: I have been a Subcommissioner of Meltem Darakcı (AEGEE-Istambul) since the September 3, 2013. While I was President, I asked Tika (Tina) Kukhianidze (AEGEE-Tbilisi) about antenna criteria to maintain AEGEE-Bakı criteria. When I became a Subcommie we were talking with Meltem via Skype and discussed problems in the Caucasus network. Afterwards, I focused on the new Visual Identity and I helped Caucasus and some Turkish locals on this matter using my skills which I learnt in PRC. Now I have been working as a Subcommie for nine months and it is enough for me to specialize in this field. I want to say thank you to Meltem for her support.

The AEGEEan: You were very active on a local level. The local level is sometimes overrated but very important. Do you think you will have less time for it if you get elected?

Elmar: The majority of AEGEE-Bakı members after some months of activity lose this as they pursue their education or career. To be honest, now I am as active as when I became an AEGEE member for the first time. I highly appreciate it. I had a significant role in turning some of our members into active members. In case of my election, I will toil as much as I did for AEGEE-Bakı. I worked very hard and spent so much energy to come to this end. I don’t regret this, and now it is time to share this energy with others !

The AEGEEan: How do you intend to improve the quality of the Network? 

Elmar: Strength of the Network depends on the spirit and the stamina of the team. Whether I get elected as NetCom or not, we have to bring something new into the system of knowledge transfer. The absence of a right transfer system may weaken the Network after local elections. There is a perfect knowledge transfer system on the European level, but nonetheless for the local antennae, there is no system like that. Some local branches try to have as many members as possible, but it gets harder to manage as the number of members increases. Therefore, quantity must be transformed into quality.

The AEGEEan: Also your non-AEGEE experience is quite relevant. Do you think it helped you to improve your skills as a possible future Netcommie?

Elmar: As we know, AEGEE activities are based on voluntary participation. We don’t work for financial income, we try to obtain experience and to share it. As you know, it is expensive to travel from Azerbaijan to other European countries. To cover these expenses, of course I need some source of finance. I tested myself in different fields of employment, including business, government departments, which helped me become more responsible and practical.

The AEGEEan: And now, a question from our readers:”My question concerns the gap between the local and European levels. Would you consider doing something to reduce it? In case you already thought about it, what are the ideas you would like to be put to work”?

Elmar: Such cases are common in our local unit, too. I found ways to tackle these problems and I wanted to share this idea with the other NetComs. I can share my idea right here, also. It would be useful if there are European level Working Groups in every local antenna,  so that they could get information about this level and can join proper European-level bodies. The absence of this mechanism is a great threat, as we can lose our active members. For instance, no one told me about this European level, I got interested in it myself. But, as not everyone does so, it is our duty to inform them. 

 Written by Cosmina Bisboaca, AEGEE-Torino

Maria Arends from AEGEE-Groningen (and AEGEE-Tarragona) is running for a position in the Network Commission. She was already on the line for this position during Spring Agora Rhein Neckar, but unfortunately she was not elected. One year later, she is running again, let’s discover why.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

Maria: My name is María, I’m 24 years old, studying Spanish philology, but I have a broad interest in many different things, such as human rights and psychology, but also more practical things like hanging out with friends, cooking, travelling, learning and practicing languages, the combination of discussing politics in the wide sense of the word and some beers, and my biggest passion is Latin America. Furthermore, we could say that I’m a dreamer, an optimist, and an idealist.

The AEGEEan: You have been Patricia Anthony’s Subcommisioner. If elected would you like to work with the Nordic Stars or the Dutch network?

Maria: I expected that question! I don’t know that very well. I have had long talks about it also with Arsenis Tselengidis (AEGEE-Thessaloniki), Dominique Lessen (AEGEE-Leiden), and Patricia Anthony (AEGEE-Zaragoza), because I cannot seem to figure out the perfect solution, especially because I am the only candidate for either of these regions. I also believe that I could work with either of them, so now the question really comes down to what do I want? There are various reasons to mention for both of them: as a Subcommie I’ve been responsible for AEGEE-Durham, AEGEE-London, and AEGEE-Sheffield, I have been to both Nordic NWMs as a trainer and for NWM Tartu I even took on the programme as Patricia was not able to be there at that time, so I have met the other locals of the Nordic Stars as well. I have also been to NWM Leiden both this and last year, so I’ve met these locals too, and they are amazing as well. Besides that, they are geographically much closer, so visiting them in person would be much easier for everyone I guess. Lastly, it should be said that the locals that Dominique takes care of are completely different from the ones that Patricia works with, but both seem equally challenging and I know that both girls would provide me with an awesome knowledge transfer. In other words, if I would be elected, I would discuss it within the team and also let the locals decide.

The AEGEEan: My question concerns the gap between the local and European level. Would you consider implementing some ideas to reduce it? In case you already thought about it, what are the ideas you would like to be put to work?

Maria: No, I would not consider that. I think this is a Network Commissioner’s job and duty. So yes, I have thought about it, and it depends a bit on the locals for which I would responsible in the end, but for sure I would promote Regional Training Courses (as stated in my candidature, I want to organise at least three of them), promote events that take place, Network Meetings, but also encourage locals to organise events and training courses for various thematic bodies. Next to that, I would be at their disposal for any question they might have about the European level and I would pay special attention to the topic during the NWMs I would organise.

The AEGEEan: You have a lot of European level experience, but you were never in a local board. Do you think you can relate to the needs or the problems involving your locals?

 Maria: Define relate. No, I have not been in the board, as in AEGEE-Groningen this would be 40 to 60 hours per week, and I have considered this a couple of times, but the problem was always with my studies; after this year the field of my studies will not exist anymore in my university, so I needed to finish my Bachelor’s as soon as possible.

However, it’s not like I haven’t done anything instead. As you said, I have quite a bit of European level experience, but I have organised several events, both local and European, I advised and informed some local board members about different matters that play a role in the network, and I have talked to my friends who were in the board about things, and as a Subcommie I also learned a lot about it. So relate in the strict sense of the word where you actually mean: have you experienced what they experience? No, maybe not. But I do have experience and I have learnt a lot about the local level. And as mentioned before, I have quite a bit of spare time next year, so I am willing to give it my all.

 The AEGEEan: You are member both of AEGEE-Groningen and AEGEE-Tarragona. Can you tell us the story behind this double membership?

Maria: Once upon a time there was a girl who went to the Summer University of AEGEE-Tarragona, fell in love with it, came back the summer after, and couldn’t get rid of the butterflies she felt in her tummy whenever she was there and for their amazing members, so she decided to become a member.

It’s rather symbolic, really, but hey, I’m a proud AEGEE-Tarragona-member. And Groningen, I just happen to live here and I’m very thankful for what AEGEE-Groningen gave to me, and of course, the first local is like a first love, right?

The AEGEEan: United Kingdom and Ireland seems to be not very interest in AEGEE, how would you change this situation?

Maria: I would rephrase the question. The UK and Ireland do not know how much they are interested in AEGEE, but if only they were aware of this, they would love AEGEE just as much as, for example, Poland, Italy, or Turkey. Okay, maybe not entirely, but I believe it’s time that AEGEE really starts facing Euroscepticism. Europe is a wonderful continent with a lot of abilities, and AEGEE is the perfect tool to make youngsters see that. The Y Vote bus tour has taken the first step, but now we should keep people’s attention there and focus on the things that British students do like (career options) rather than what they do not, but I am confident that through non formal education we can make them like that as well. It will be quite a challenge though, as universities are not directly making it easy for pro-European organisations such as AEGEE to exist…

The AEGEEan: Can you explain a little bit more about your idea of mentorship?

Maria: The idea already exists (I don’t know whose it is), but great ideas should be kept. It includes twin antennae and cooperation in various ways, but the idea is that locals can (and should) learn from each other. As you see in big companies for example, where a manager builds one branch successfully gets to move on to do the same with a next branch, here it doesn’t mean changing the management, but learn from the management and share practices with each other.

The AEGEEan: Why should people choose you as NetCom?

 Maria: Because I have considered it deliberately, I ran for NetCom in Rhein-Neckar, but now I have had another year to think about it. I have had a year to be a Subcommissioner and see how it works, and as a member of the Identity Team and the Planning Team, I think I have a lot of relevant experience for being a NetCom. Furthermore, I am very passionate and this I can carry out to the locals. I see potential in our network, but I also see that it may need a little push. And I can push. Next to that I will have quite a lot of spare time next year, which I plan on investing in NetCom matters. Also I kindly invite everyone to take a look at my programme. That’s why.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

For all of you interested in youth participation in international organisations, but not really knowing where to start, the workshop at Agora Patra held by AEGEE-Europe Liaison Officers towards OSCE can be the first step!

We will introduce the basic information on what Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe stands for, the context of its work and the opportunities for youth to become involved in processes of such huge organization. The functioning of this organization might seem very complex, yet there are many projects and initiatives open to the youth that follow models applied in the real professional context. And we will tell you why it’s worth taking part in them.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest intergovernmental organization focused on the issue of security. It operates also in the fields of arms control, the promotion of human rights, freedom of the press or transparent elections. The headquarters of the organisation is in Vienna. The organisation has originated from the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) that took place in 1975 in  Helsinki. 57 states from Europe, Asia and North America are members of this organisation.

 We want to make AEGEE members more aware and involve them in the opportunities for direct participation provided by OSCE for young people, such as Model OSCE – Youth Ambassadors programme, Human Dimension Implementation Meeting or Election Observation missions.

We would like to get your input to develop the Youth Action Plan, listen to your ideas to organise an AEGEE side-event at the annual HDIM meeting and discuss with you the biggest challenges OSCE is currently facing, in such fields as peacebuilding, democratic development or human rights.

After the presentation of the bodies and the opportunities for participation, we will have a more detailed look into each of these conferences. Starting with HDIM, we hope to collect your ideas for the side-event during group work and recruit participants for the next edition of the event.

In fact, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organises an annual meeting in Warsaw to review the implementation of a broad range of OSCE human dimension commitments, including such fields, as human rights and fundamental freedoms, elections, the promotion of tolerance, use of the death penalty and the rights of national minorities. The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) lasts 10 working days and is attended by representatives of OSCE participating States, NGOs, and international organizations and institutions. It is a place where AEGEE should be present and this is why we want to create an AEGEE delegation to participate in Europe’s largest conference on human rights and democracy! For further information, check the article about the attendance of the AEGEE delegation to the HDIM 2013.

Another part of the session will be devoted to the Youth Action Plan that is being developed this year during Model OSCE meetings organised in the framework of Swiss Chairmanship in the OSCE. This document is supposed to be a set of recommendations drafted by young people for the OSCE Member States and the organisation as a whole, which will be handed in to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of participating States this December. The document contains recommendations on a variety of topics,  such as education, employment and entrepreneurship, human rights, youth participation, peace and reconciliation, the issue of discrimination or promoting cultural co-operation. As you can notice, many of those fields are also relevant for AEGEE. That is why we would like to hear your opinions on them and give you the floor to identify the most urgent challenges in these areas and potential solutions that could be added to the Youth Action Plan.

We hope to see many of you in Patra!
Written by Aleksandra Kluczka, AEGEE-Kraków and Ermanno Napolitano, AEGEE-Milano