It's not easy being a German local

The Comite Directeur is concerned about freedom of Communication and Transparency in certain parts of our network, after receiving a troubling letter from a certain University.
We shall however not be intimidated, and fully support our locals in their quest to full freedom of C&T in Europe!

The letter of concern:

And evidence of the so called crime scene, annexed to the letter:

NWM Bari – Non solo musica

NWM Bari was born a couple of months ago in Brussels, when only 18-year-old Chiara came to pay me a visit, for just one – yet fruitful – night. That’s when I motivated her to take over the organisation of a NWM in an area that needed it A LOT. Even though, I have to say, motivating this powerful young lady is not something to be very proud of – it is actually one of the easiest tasks I can think about.

After insistent lobbying in her antenna, she managed to get them organize a great event, featuring:
- workshops in the sun
- sunbathing workshops
- beach
- fire
- NetCom striptease
- music show by AEGEE-Agrigento



AEGEE-Agrigento? YES, AEGEE-Agrigento!
This FABULOUS new antenna made of creative and funny people signed the CdA at the network meeting, with a whole traditional music show + making a reportage for their TV program "Non solo musica" (=not only music). They are now searching for a partner for exchanges, are you intrigued? Heartily recommended by the human resources responsible of AEGEE-Europe.



But... what did we do?
YES, there was space also for quite some serious stuff. ;-)
After a thorough SWOT analysis, the problems figured out by the participants themselves do not come as a surprise and seem quite accurate (result of the democratic voting process: 1.English language knowledge; 2. cooperation/visibility; 3. age).
In this sense, some WSs in Italian helped very much to the inclusion of all the participants in an active discussion. However, for the first time we introduced a WS on professional AEGEE English language in cooperation with the EDL project (thanks Nastia!) – restating the need to work in both directions at the same time (inclusion + improvement of language skills).



Results?
A whole network strategy developed directly by the participants, with our guidance.
A whole new NetCom team with capable SubCommies all over the peninsula.
Most of all, a new – fantastic – ANTENNA!



With reality melting in the memories of Sun and Sea and Energy, my plane back to Brussels was taking off early in the morning, and taking me, smiling and tanned, directly to present AEGEE in these days' conference Sparks of the Future.

And of course, the night before Chiara and me were once again talking before falling asleep in her room, and already planning the following event…

In the kitchen!

Live-streaming from the headoffice:
Ivonne and Robin are killing the mouse!
I climbed down from the chair to write the blog bost!

AEGEE-Granada olé olé!

Yesterday 19th May 2009 was a special evening for the inhabitants of Rue Nestor de Tière!



Do you all remember what happened in crazy NWM Barcelona? No? Go back and check!
Well, after AEGEE-Bilbao’s signing and after Agora Magusa, where AEGEE-Malaga signed, the story was not over yet.

Santiago from Granada ‘wanted to do it’, he said, and no Sir, he was not joking. The ‘niet’ of the Juridical Commission could not stop him: he was going to use the name of AEGEE-Granada, legally. They could not wait until October (Agora Kiev) to run activities and make promotion! What was the only escape route? Signing at a CD meeting, JC dixit.

That’s how Santi with his two bottles of Andalusian wine took a plane on the 20th May and was in Brussels for the evening, to go back home already the morning after.

Pity that he did not have a whole Agora in front of him, but still we managed to gather quite a big cheering crowd: all AEGEE expats in Brussels + AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles themselves gathered in Café Novo that night.



The most welcome and unexpected guests were Roberto and Maria from AEGEE-Castellò/AEGEE-Dublin, on vacation in Bruxelles for just one day, who recognized Robin and me on the streets! Ahh, that’s how it feels to be a celebrity.

For some more details about the evening, check out the artistic minutes of the meeting here.

P.S.: you can now also check out all the decisions taken regarding the network update in Agora Magusa here.
This detailed explanation, of course, is made possible by the CTRP of the Comité Directeur of AEGEE-Europe.

When nothing works

No matter how much I enjoy teamwork, and how much more rewarding a result achieved together with your dear friends and colleagues is, and how much bigger these results usually are when accomplished together,

I chose independence over interdependence.

Today anyway.

The most important elements on my to-do list are all directly related to files stored on our server (Robert) which was hacked and thus down. Files to be sent to the printing house, all files for the telegram, all my other FR and PR files.

All other jobs waiting to be done depend on answers, help, clarifications, input and documents from other people/systems. Even sending an e-mail on boardinf-l is impossible.

Also the post office doesn't want to cooperate today. Percin and I carry 35 kilo of Y Vote materials to the post office. The people with financial power are not around, so we scratch all the money we can find together to pay for the stamps. The lady in the post office wants to make everything complicated and I have to fill in lots of forms. Her French is bitchy and unpolite, and when at the end of the whole process, I am 7 euro short on cash, she almost explodes. I tell her I'll run home to get more money. "Dépêchez-vous!" she shouts, while I run home to find 7 more euros underneath people's desks. Just before closing time I'm back, and the packages are sent to Greece, the Netherlands, and the UK. Pfffff.

Instead of opting for an ulcer, I chose to calmly continue to work on all those smaller matters equally important. Also Tena takes a deep breath and tells the computer that she can do this. She can stay calm. She can keep working all night long. She has a bottle of vodka on her desk for support.

As anyway most other CD members are out, I dedicate myself to assisting Philipp with fixing Dragan's phone and solving the mysterie of the annoyingly beeping fax. I play a little bit with photoshop to create a flashy button for the European Voice website. Luckily YOUrope Needs YOU! won the European Charlemagne Youth Prize, and a quick press release, twit and blog-update assured already some media coverage. And I finally did my laundry.

After preparing a nice salad for Tena and myself, we now continue our quiet night in the Head Office. Still e-mails to answer, Sparks of Future things to prepare, tickets to staple on papers, articles to write, my oh my oh my, maybe we should just ignore it all and go to bed?

11.05 PM. We are not going to bed.

Charlemagne Youth Prize Winner- YOUrope Needs YOU!!!

The European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2009 was awarded in Aachen on May 19th at 11am. The Prize is awarded to youth projects that encourage the development of a shared sense of European identity. The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, and the Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Foundation, Michael Jansen, participated in the ceremony.

and our project YOUrope Needs YOU!!! Won the Charlemagne Youth Prize, having the first place in all EUROPE!!!

Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in this project:) Congratulations to Agniezska Strycharz and the rest of YNY team, all the organizers & trainers and all CD members.

YOUrope Needs YOU! held 5 successful training in Leiden, Passau, Krakow, Oviedo and Canakkale respectively between 2008-2009.

Happy & proud Projects Director

Brussel's Fairytales

After Thursday's Agora kick-off party in Leiden where Ivonne and I had a jolly-green time, on Friday Tena came back home (home? wow we even call this place home now...) after two weeks of touring the UK (check her adventures here). It was reason enough anyway to postpone bedtime for a few hours and catch up in the warm cozy head office kitchen with a glass of wine left behind by some guests or maybe even Les Anciens.

This weekend furthermore marked itself with social, non-work related and private events. What happens in Brussels, stays in Brussels ;-) 

But to just give you a little bit:

Saturday, Gay Parade! 

Dragan & Ana nearly missed it because they were hunting for good restaurant deals for next week's Sparks of the Future event in Brussels. Ilona, Tena and I however did our best to represent AEGEE in this jolly fest of extravaganza. We were a little bit overwhelmed (Tena and I more than Ilona) but had fun. Politicians of course did not let this opportunity pass by to win over some votes. We should have done a Y Vote street action, it was the perfect ocassion, but we didn't bring any materials. Too bad. 

In the evening the Head Office started preparing for more extravaganza of the Eurovision Song Contest. AEGEE-Europe officially supported Norway and was happy to see this endorsement pay off. With a diverse audience cheering (and boo-ing) loudly for different countries, a wall-wide projection of the show and plenty of Slovenian orange juice, the night was considered a success. 

On Sunday the President left to the UK. I did what any vice-president would do: occupied his bedroom. Big mistake, as the Presidential bedroom (formerly known as Presidential bathroom) is very centrally located and therefore has a strong attraction to passerby'ers that came knocking on the door waking me up with important and less important questions/issues as many as FIVE times. 

Today we tried to start another work day. One or two important servers are not working, meaning most of the important files are inaccessible. So a good reason to have a long CD meeting, with lots of breaks and too much sidetracking. 

Ah well. At least the sun is shining. And I am on Euronews this week (OK, my forehead is). Check that here. Minute 4 more or less. Dragan and the letterbox are easier to catch. 

Twitting around

Why twitter is cool and useful.

To have a look at what kind of information we spread there: www.twitter.com/aegee_europe

At this point, 109 people are 'following' us. We send out "mini-press releases" about our events and projects. The amount of followers grows daily, especially after an update.

Some interesting ones amongst them:

YSAFE Network (Youth Sexual Awareness For Europe)
OptiFly
Sheffield University
27etMoi (= media, special of Arte for the EP elections)
Boston University
European Movement International
Guntor Gloser (German 'Staatsminister fur Europa')
Keiser University
Eoin Ryan (Member of European Parliament)
ALDE Group in the European Parliament (European Liberals)
Imperial College London
Journalism.co.uk
Teesside University
University for Peace
Juan Behrend (Secretary general of the European Greens)
Bahadir Kaleagasi (Turkish Chamber of Commerce, one of our sponsors and if I'm correct patron of AEGEE-Ankara)
EU09.TwitLife.com
Council of Europe
European Radio Network
Cafe Babel
Institute of Contemporary European Studies [iCES] European Business School London

And quite some more.

I think it provides cool new methods for a big youth organisation such as ours to be out there and easily and quickly inform a wide range interested people, stakeholders and (potential) partners on a diverse amount of events and projects we run.

So don't be shy for modern tools and twit along ;-)

Unexpected visitors

using robins account:

I wanna show u pictures, but you wouldn't believe :)
u have to come here and experience the cd life for a day or two, and replenish your karma with cleaning at least one room ;)

visiting was announced 10 hours before arrival, but mickeys was not ;)

thanks to him by bringing a delegation of happy italian girls to spice up the kitchen conversations a little :)

its always a warm feeling for me to see the thankfull faces of cd when they can turn on the light in their room again, or see where the toilet seat is located.

next on the list: take out the 3 garbage bags ivonne put in front of the house last week

i always feel happy in this house :)
now i will eat pasta, provided by mickeys delegation :)

good luck with the work people!
thijs

Curiosity of the week...

Dear "children" (18 to 35...):

Today was the Open Day at the European Parliament, and as you could imagine there was a good number of AEGEE members present. Some of them wandering around and collecting goodies, AEGEE-Maastricht in the Bar, and Robin, Dragan and myself at the beautiful AEGEE stand!
We spent some time informing people about AGEEE and the Y Vote campaign, but most of the time we were trying to escape from boredom or helping kids slect the Y Vote badges, one of each color!

































But what I wanted to show you today is better, more interesting, and in accordance with the new Transparency and Communication act of the CD. After intense lobbying and signing many forms I was allowed to analyze the content of Robin's purse. So, what does a CD member take with herself at any time?

Passport: to escape from Brussels at any time, and seek refugee in a friendly Antenna.
21 cents: enough for... nothing. But in any case, what is the Youth in Action 4.3 for?
The yPhone, a direct line with the managers of the UK Tour!
Some Y-Vote pins: External Relations first...
Keys of the House: I don't know what for... It always ends up Evren opening the door :)
Train tickets = Escape route
And of course, the AEGEE business cards!

So, children, now you know what is needed to survive in Brussels, end eventually anywhere in Europe!

Best regards and see you around!

Almost weekend again

Yesterday was a day of hard work. While Dragan was assembling a guestlist with everybody interesting and important in the field of creativity, innovation, sustainability and youth for Sparks of the Future, I searched for a venue and also finally had the printing house contract signed and finalised. It includes a nice discount and quite some free posters and flyers for this year. 

At the end of the afternoon, Ivonne and I went to Mediamarkt for a new AEGEE Camera, which was closed, so we went shopping for second hand dresses instead. The CD is committed to sustainable consumption, in the framework of our current flagship project Sustaining our Future. 

At night, Dragan, Ivonne and I retreated in the social room for another movie session. 

Nice movie, but a bit depressing.

So Ivonne put on movie number 2:



Dragan wasn't fascinated and went to bed.

Today again a lot of work. Had a CD meeting as quite some decisions were to be taken. Tonight AEGEE-Brussels + event guests, AEGEE-Leuven and AEGEE-Maastricht coming, so high time to start cleaning.

Tomorrow: AEGEE Y Vote stand at the European Parliament during the 9th of May Open Days!

The Garden

The Financial Director is a quite messy person and eventhough the bills and all financial papers are perfectly in order (THE DESK IS EMPTY) keeping anything not financial in order or clean doesn't interest her much.

She doesn't like cooking, cleaning and in general is not a good housewife-to-be, BUT somehow there is a fascination for gardening. Don't ask why it's just as strange a fascination as collecting poststamps (which she does).

After working for 4 hours in the front yard, 3 big garbage bags later she returnes victorious to the house. She expects compliments or at least somebody noticing. NOTHING, NOTHING at all.

The work of the Financial Director is generally not so much appreciated or better said... People have no clue what you're doing and if you try to explain it, which you suck at, it doesn't help at all. And apparently the CD also doesn't appreciate gardeners.

So dear network and especially the people that visited the house before please be amazed at the nice work done. Compliments can be put under reactions or send to treasurer@aegee.org

Mexican times

Yesterday I was quite convinced to be the first case in Belgium with the Swine Flu (aka H1N1). With all other CD members out on meetings or traveling, Ivonne and I took a recovery day which consisted basically of shopping for fruits etc. She did some gardening, I sent out the website poll. Dragan came back from Paris and tried to relax and watch some TV, until I came to bother him about a workshop to be given at the EU Russia conference. Bedtime: 1.00 am. 

Today we were supposed to have CD meeting at 10.00 am, but somehow most of the CD was now infected with Swine Flu and in coma. Percin was up on time and went to the conference to help them out. Dragan and I also joined for a few hours to give a workshop on advocacy methods for youth. Me mostly as background decoration, but OK. 

Coming back to the house, I cooked dinner, something Mexican, to celebrate the fact that I probably don't have Swine Flu but a normal one, and am feeling much better now. 

Ivonne said several times that she particularly liked the tortilla chips, which I didn't make, but came straight out of a bag. She still has something to learn about appreciation. 

Now it's almost 10 pm. Everybody is still in the office. CD-elect Denis came by to say hi and deal with some visa issues. We are listening to eurovision songs. Norway is particularly popular, though Percin keeps cheering for the Turkish entry which is in fact a Belgian girl. 

One more calm day tomorrow (though with a LOT of work, uffff) and then again a crazy weekend with way too many visitors.

Happy Birthday Evren!

We like Mondays

By Sunday evening, almost all guests had left. The nap didn't happen, and we decide to watch Slumdog Millionaire. Projected on the wall, and us comfortable on the sofa's and mattreses in the social room. Fantastic movie. 

To bed at 1.00 am, and early next morning at 7.30 Vedran leaves, Meta goes to work and Dragan and myself spend 2 hours of "Captain Cleaning" to make the office and kitchen in order for Euronews to film. Euronews films everything weird in our office, and around 12.30 they are done. A few more hours of working and then I go to Leuven as AEGEE-Leuven was organising a BBQ for AEGEE-Brussels and the participants of their EU-Russia conference. Great fun hanging out with ze Belgians and Eastern Europeans. 

Home after midnight, and hurray, Ivonne is home again! Dragan goes to bed, he has an early train to Paris to deal with visa stuff. We have a drink and some laughs in the kitchen (it's Evren's birthday) and then go to bed as well. Next morning, Percin wakes me up, slightly hyper because of the lack of sleep from traveling all night. 

Today we take it easy, I feel like I might be getting H1N1. 

May is the Y Vote 2009 month!

Exactly 64 cities in 16 EU countries will stage Y Vote 2009 actions in the final month of campaigning.


View Y Vote 2009 in a larger map

These efforts are joined by our UK campaign bus tour that is visiting 28 British cities from London to Edinburgh.


View Y Vote UK in a larger map

Finally two more Y Vote conventions are on the way - in Cologne (May 10 - 16) and Brussels (May 23 - 28).

For more info and to join visit www.aegee.org/events.

Gracias AEGEE-León :-)

How does AEGEE-León perceive the CD?

An oasis in the middle of Brussels

Let the scary and violent world around us be for a moment, and hide in the crazy funky warm creative and young spirits of the AEGEE Head Office.

While half the Comite Directeur abandoned ship to be with the network - Tena touring around the UK establishing new contacts and mobilising people for the greater good wherever they go, follow them here, Ivonne after several days in the UK now in the Netherlands with AEGEE-Leiden, AEGEE-Enschede, and all the other Dutchies celebrating Queen's Day; Percin at Network Meeting Thessaloniki - the remaining ones received the Network in Brussels.

AEGEE-Kaiserslautern came for a Barbeque and Y Vote workshop last Tuesday. They became fully informed of why it is so important for young people to vote, and as thank you provided us with some excellent German sausages.

That same evening, half the Y Vote team arrived as well as the Editor in Chief of Key to Europe, for the hearing in the European Parliament the next day on education. Last minute preparations with ESU until late that evening, and the next day all to the Parliament to promote Y Vote and give some speeches (see previous post). Memorable and a great success. With all our guests and Brussels based visitors of the hearing we then went for a dinner and then returned to the house to continue with normal work. In the evening to the meeting of AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles, to arrange some things for their event this week, and hosting and workshop support needed by the CD.

Next morning time for some major cleaning, as AEGEE-Leon with 10 members arrives that day for a visit. After working hard all day the crazy Spaniards convince us to go to Delerium for a beer, three more Russian guests arrive, and then getting up early again next morning to work on the Study in Europe Forum with Ilona who is also back in Brussels for the weekend. In the afternoon a meeting with our lawyer in the city centre, followed by a tour through the city and European district with Cezary from Y Vote. Back in the house, AEGEE-Leon has the sangria ready and the BBQ going for una fiesta loca. One more guest arrives.

Saturday, no time to rest, with our 20 guests from all over Europe we have a city tour and a speedcourse on the EU in the European District by Dragan. Four more guests from Czech Republic arrive, and after the Barcelona-Madrid match it is time for another party. AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles starts its week long event on EU-Russia relations, so I go to meet them shortly on their welcoming party.

Back to the house with the nightbus and the Czech guests. Now it's Sunday morning, most of the guests have left. Ilona supervises the cleaning of the kitchen with the remaining guests. Vedran is waiting to have a meeting on the Liaison Agency.

To do today:

- Cleaning (tomorrow Euronews will come to film)

- Doing laundry

- Discussing some things with the remaining guests

- Preparing for the next week

- Maybe take a nap :-)