AEGEE-Oviedo is an antenna that is growing constantly. It was nominated as Local of the Month of April because it organised a successful Regional Training Course (RTC) in cooperation with AEGEE-León and the Youth Mobility Working Group, “To Europe and Beyond”. The event was made up of a group of 23 participants plus seven organisers and three trainers. Since the main topic of the activity was mobility, the event was based on three pillars: the concept of mobility, its barriers and benefits and different kind of mobility programmes that you can benefit from (depending if you’re looking for a job, studies, volunteering or just pleasure). Besides that and more in detail, the AEGEE members were also delivered sessions about the Erasmus+ programme, its structure and several projects in which you can participate. Furthermore, they were working on some aspects like communication or active listening. Read this interview with the board of AEGEE-Oviedo and find out about their experience.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations for being selected as Local of the Month of April. How did it feel to find out that you were nominated?

AEGEE-Oviedo Board: Grazie mille! For us it is a great honour, because this proves that our effort and work is acknowledged. We do not do things in order to receive awards, but it is nice to get recognition for the things you do, since it also serves as motivation to keep working and improving. Also, we would like to thank the network for nominating us!

Introduce yourselves and tell us your AEGEE-Oviedo story. How did it start? Can you tell us a bit more about your local?

AEGEE-Oviedo was founded by students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Oviedo on the 21st of December 1988. As it was told by Alain Fernández at our 25th anniversary in 2013, the very first president of the local, AEGEE-Oviedo was born as a way to protest against a European directive.

In the course of 1986-1987, the need for medicine students to pass a public examination before having their compulsory internships in hospitals was implemented in Spain. According to the results of that exam, they could choose a specialisation.

To medicine students all over Spain, this seemed like a trap: after six years of hard study, they needed to pass a general exam of everything they had learnt in that time in order to be able to start their internship period. They protested and they went on strike… But since it was a European directive, it was approved anyway.

And this is where Alain and his colleagues discovered AEGEE: “If we get a better understanding of Europe, we can be more aware of what is going on”. Thus, they started a local that became one of the largest in Europe with almost 2000 members back in the nineties.

Almost thirty years later, the flame is still alive and with enough fuel for at least another thirty years of getting Europe closer to Asturias… And Asturias closer to Europe.

How did you come up with idea to organise an RTC with AEGEE-León and the Youth Mobility Working Group and how did you manage to succeed? Can you tell us the secret to organise a perfect RTC?

The idea of organising something with AEGEE-León came up almost a year ago during Spring NWM Santander 2016, when some members of AEGEE-León and AEGEE-Oviedo were talking about doing something in collaboration, because the antennae are only 120 kilometres away from each other. So we started thinking about what we could do and we came up with the idea of organising an RTC.

During the following course (2016-2017), the members of our antennae started to go to each other’s activities and do some visits, and in January we made the right decision.

Both locals started to prepare the RTC with the first and reasonable decision that half of the organisers would be from Oviedo and the other half from León, despite the fact that the event would take place in La Vecilla (León).

Afterwards, it was proposed to cooperate with the Youth Mobility Working Group, since both antennae are some of the most experienced in the La Nave area regarding mobility, but it was also a natural decision due to the fact that both antennae have members involved in that Working Group. It was the perfect mix! For us, Oviedo plus León plus Mobility meant RTC.

What were the difficult moments in organising the event? 

Well, actually, we could say that organizing an event between two locals is quite challenging. Firstly: both locals should find a common aim. Secondly: you need a team able to work and build something together without knowing each other from before. It may seem simple in theory, but the reality is not that easy! Especially when your team has to work in the distance. Maybe that was one of the most difficult parts since there are some specific tasks, like the logistic part, in which one local carries the weight of everything until the event starts.

This has nothing to do with bad experiences during our event, but sometimes trying to find the right balance between both locals is not that easy. Fortunately, both locals had the same interests and some of us were already friends before taking the decision of starting that project together so we didn’t have that kind of obstacles while organizing. That’s why if we had to choose or define the real and biggest problem, we would say the huge amount of events that were also happening in the same month and even quite near us. It’s not only about the amount of activities, but also the profile of participants you’re looking for or may be interested on the topic. At the end having so many different kind of events around means people have to choose and we got less participants that we expected, being also much more difficult for us to convince them to come.

Was the RTC productive somehow? 

Sure! We achieved our common goals, we were able to overcome difficulties as a team, new bonds were created and, at the same time, the old ones were reinforced. AEGEE-León was a great partner and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them all their effort and work that was done. Regarding to the event and the content itself, we tried to do our best and we reveiced great feedback from our participants. That means, finally, everyone learnt from each other while having fun all together.

What are you working on at the moment?

While we are writing these lines, the Summer University of AEGEE-Oviedo, “Guardians of the Paradise vol.9” is going on, making participants discover the wonders of Asturias and why the North of Spain (and this very land) has nothing to do with the clichés about our country.

In addition, we are already planning the course of 2017-2018, thinking about the activities we are going to organise for our members, starting with the after-summer BBQ, and for the international students of the University of Oviedo. By the way, did you know that, in 2018, AEGEE-Oviedo will turn 30? Stay tuned.

What is the “Impro Night”?

The “Impro Night” is an activity for our members and international students of the University of Oviedo that happens in “La Salvaje”, a pub in Oviedo, which provides us with a small stage with a mic and some instruments.

In a way, it is like a jam session, but also for speaking: if your passion is singing, showing other people how well you play the piano or the guitar, or how big of a comedian you are, this is for you.

You can also participate in groups singing your favourite song, as the aim here is just to have fun!

Did you do any other activities during the month of April?

During the month of April we also organised a Mini European School about self-development in collaboration with the AEGEE-Academy where our participants got the chance to put their routine on hold and to focus on themselves. We invited them to reflect on the path that had led them where they were, and how that path had shaped them; and finally, they also discovered how they had realised their own competences and skills, becoming aware of their potential to create an impact.

At the same time, more than 60 people of the Network came to the ‘’Primer Sidre’l Añu’’ event taking place in Gijón to eat some cachopo and drink sidra. This activity became popular after Spring AgorAsturias 2015, so we’re thinking about establishing it as a regular event during Easter.

And last but not least, some of our members went to a Training Course in which AEGEE-Oviedo was partner called ‘’Escape cyber – Enter life Training Course Erasmus+’’ in Turkey. The main purpose of this event was raising awareness among the participants about the modern phenomenon of the mental disorder of internet addiction, the supply of specialised knowledge, the development of “know how” and special tracing, acknowledgement, psychological approach and confronting techniques against this phenomenon. The crisis of values that characterises our modern and developed society leads young people to false behaviours, guiding them to social isolation and self-exclusion, to depression, to dangerous behaviours with uncontrolled consequences, mental disorders and many – many more hazardous paths.

When was the new board elected?

The board of 2017-2018 was elected on the 9th of June and, during one month, we had our knowledge transfer between old and new members, so since the 9th of July the new board is in force, even though some positions are still open and will be elected in September.

Can you tell us something about the board members?

It is a board of seven members: three of them continued from the previous board and the remaining four are fresh members. The whole team is motivated to do great things during the year.

Are there any members who take part in AEGEE projects or Working Groups?

We have members in the Health for Youth Interest Group (H4Y, Irene Dios and Sandra González), Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG, Jesús Baizán, Luz Gómez, Marga Arbina, Sandra Pandiella and Silvia García), Public Relations Committee (PRC, Gerardo García), Youth Mobility Working Group (YMWG, Laura López), the AEGEE-Academy (Eugenia Casariego, Gerardo García and Laura López) and the Juridical Commision (JC, Jesús Baizán) while in the recent past we also had members being part of the Network Commission (Olga Rivero, Juan Sordo, Marcos Herrero), Information Technology Committee (ITC, Alberto Cuesta), Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT, Gerardo García) and Chair Team (Alberto Cuesta).

Can you describe your local in one sentence?

Our local is an energetic and friendly group that likes non-formal education, organising great activities and we always have room for some social time at meetings and events.

What is your motto?

Little things can be great!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

Every month, many antennae around the Network organise activities that are related to our Action Agenda and Strategic Plan. Some of these locals become ACTive Locals of the Month, but often there is more than one outstanding activity taking place. One of these activities is the project “If I were in your shoes” by AEGEE-Kyïv and AEGEE-Berlin, which took place last October (Kyïv) and December (Berlin) and was related to the Youth Mobility Focus Area. We spoke to Iryna Sheremeta, President of AEGEE-Kyïv and the main coordinator of the Kyïv part of the project, to find out more!

ACT: Can you tell us a little bit more about your programme and participants?
Irina: The program was connected to the main topic of the project “Participatory Democracy”. The idea was to show young and motivated people how they can participate now and be useful for society. Participants were from different cities in Ukraine and Germany, 18-25 years old, and not only AEGEEans. We mixed activities, because we wanted to balance theory and practice as well as show our participants the city. We met with representatives of different initiatives, organised workshops connected to the topic and walked around the city. The same strategy was used in Berlin. We talked about populism, German local initiatives, for example the bicycle movement. Moreover, we visited some of them and tried the practice of mediation with children, helped in a refugee camp and in a local bicycle association.

How and when did the idea to organise this project come to your mind?
The idea to organise a serious project appeared in the heads of our board members from the very beginning of our term. It was a logical decision after a successful year of the previous board, which organised Autumn Agora Kyïv 2015 and a series of events connected to democracy. The particular idea of this project appeared during our New Years event during a discussion about our focus and how we could link ourselves to the Focus Areas.

 
Which steps did you take to realise your idea?
We did not want to make a project following some grants requirements, but we wanted to find a grant matching our idea for it. We followed the Facebook page of the German embassy in Ukraine and saw an open call there. Then, we contacted AEGEEans from AEGEE-Berlin and developed a common vision. Both locals from Ukraine and Germany were involved, because the project Meet Up is a Ukrainian-German cooperation. Then, the waiting period started and we got an answer from the grant three months later. They asked to specify the topic and to add more group work. Actually, the confirmation from the grant was the first step to realise our idea.

 
How exactly did you apply for the grant?
The application for the grant was quite extensive. It consisted of a general vision of the project, a preliminary programme, a preliminary budget, documents, which proved that we are representatives of NGOs (statutes, documents signed by Presidents, etc). We needed to fill an electronic application form and also send a paper version by mail.

 
What was the outcome of your project?
With this project, we wanted to motivate people to act and to be active in their own country. We wanted to show them that there are many possibilities to do that and many opportunities to develop your own personality. We made a video briefly explaining the main idea of the project and shared it on our pages in social networks. Also, the main task was to create ideas for policies which will be sent to the Kyïv City Council.

 
Did you have any troubles to create and realise your idea? How did you solve them?
I do not know if we can call these things troubles, but one girl from Berlin lost her purse and a boy from Cologne lost his camera. Also one participant  from Berlin had troubles on the border and we needed to send her the invitation on the day of arrival. One more participant missed the flight and did not come at all. But basically everything went well and the atmosphere was amazing and friendly.

Can you tell us a bit more about your local?
AEGEE-Kyïv is 21 years old, very active and motivated. During our history we organised two Agoras, and we regularly organise Summer Universities (SU) and local events. We had several Comité Directeur (CD) representatives in the history of our antenna and we are really proud of that.

 
Describe your local in five words.
Active, motivated, friendly, open-hearted, hospitable.

P.S. More information can be found here.
Written by Action Agenda Coordination Committee and Youth Mobility Working Group

Mobility, especially youth mobility, is critical for members of AEGEE due to its many events all over Europe. It therefore comes as no surprise that there is something like the Youth Mobility Working Group (YMWG). What is surprising is that the main task of this working group is often not facilitating mobility, but raising awareness about the possibilities of youth mobility. Here to present the new team of the Youth Mobility Working Group and its goals is Elena Efremova, PR Coordinator of YMWG.

Elena Efremova

The AEGEEan: Could you introduce the team of the Youth Mobility Working Group?

Elena: The new team of Youth Mobility Working Group consists of ten people: seven official members, two assistants and… one advisor! Daniel Llamazares is our lovely Coordinator, I am the PR Coordinator (İlayda Berberoğlu is the PR Assistant), Maria Smirnova is the Policy Officer, Kristina Reshetova is the Project Manager, and Maribel Martin Herrero is the Fundraising Responsible. For the main objectives we have three people: Berfu Ozer – objective 1 (establish a group of supporters), Asier Rodríguez – objective 2 (train 100 members) and Klaudia Chlopas – objective 3 (establish 5 long-term agreements providing mobility service). Moreover, some weeks ago, Maryana Semenyak joined our team as an advisor, and Joanna Pankowska is our appointed CD member.

Read the full activity plan, here.

Why is youth mobility so important to your team?

In the XXI century, it is impossible to imagine living in one place; tickets for buses, trains or planes are so cheap, and movement has become an inseparable part of our daily life. To be in AEGEE means to travel a lot. There are a lot of possibilities, but not many people know where to find this information and how to use it. The main goal of the Youth Mobility Working Group is to help people inside and outside AEGEE to travel and develop.

Every member had their own reasons to join the team. Someone was convinced by Daniel (it’s impossible to say “no” to him when he smiles), someone wanted to teach other AEGEE members how to get visas and show that it is not hard (yes, our girls from Russia and Turkey have requested many visas during their life and didn’t die). But all of us want AEGEEans to travel more, it doesn’t matter whether they want to go to events or study abroad.

Daniel Llamazares

What, specifically, are you going to do this year to try to reach your aim of easing the mobility of youth and students in Europe?

We have a lot of plans! You can read them, in detail, in our activity plan for the upcoming year [she smiles]. We plan to organise some activities connected to Youth Mobility, for example the Mobility day, create guidelines about visa and grants processes, reativate some online AEGEE platforms for sharing mobility information. We don’t want to be passive, not only will we make boring, but useful, materials “what to do in your local in order to …”, but we plan to motivate locals and people to organise something!

As PR coordinator, I wish to increase visibility of the Youth Mobility Working Group. We need more likes on our Facebook page! So, I kindly ask you to like our Facebook page and invite your friends to do the same. We will have a new logo (we’re already working on it with the Public Relations Comitee) and you will read a lot about us! Our big wish is to see that the Action Agenda of the Youth Mobility Focus Area will be fully implemented in one year.

Do you, and how do you, think that conferences or other events about mobility, like ‘Borderless Europe: Blessing or Burden?’, hosted by AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca earlier this year, helps further your cause?

Conferences like that are very important not only for AEGEE. It means that twenty or more people who care about mobility talk about existing problems and try to find solutions. These conferences bring politicians and youth together, and we hope that in the future we will have more events like it.

Maria Smirnova

What do you think are the biggest obstacles to youth mobility?

You expect me to say visas or money? No. Is visa a real problem? In three years, I have made five visas! And believe me it’s not so hard! You only need to know which documents you need and follow instructions. Yes, it takes time and money, you are not totally free. It’s a field where AEGEE can make policy and advocacy, it could be the biggest challenge for AEGEE-Europe.

The main obstacle is the lack of information. People don’t know where to find information, sometimes people don’t know how to use what they know. When AEGEE was established in 1985 border-less Europe (integration and cooperation) even though we can’t compare mobility issues back to that time, as of course we lost already many barriers however young people are still facing many obstacles and unfortunately not many AEGEE members are aware and know how it works when it comes to practical moments.

As the PR-responsible, what will you do to increase awareness about the plans and achievements of the working group, as well as awareness about the working group itself?

The first goal, as I already said, is to increase visibility of the working group. Members of AEGEE should know our team and what do we do exactly, how to contact us and which information we can and should provide for them. Moreover, PR responsible should help members of the team to promote their ideas. PR, Project Manager and Main Objective Responsible people will work together to achieve our goals and implement the Action Agenda.

Is there anything that I did not ask, but that you would like to have included into the interview?

Dear AEGEE community, this working groups exist to help you to implement the Action Agenda. Don’t hesitate to contact us! We are looking for antennae, who already won grants, and people who know how to get visas. Your knowledge about it is of great help for others! Moreover, if you need workshops about mobility issues we are also happy to run them for you!

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen