Sparks of Future in the European Voice

Check out Sparks of Future, 10th Y Vote convention in Brussels and our EU-US forum on youth creativity, featured on the front page of the European Voice, the most esteemed EU affairs weekly.

Y Vote 2009 - Great Success!

Another report on the Y Vote 2009!

Voting for the first time

Y Vote 2009's Thijs de Wolff in the report made by the EuroparlTv on the Election Day in the Netherlands

Sparks of Future @ EuroparlTV

Don't forget to vote at the European Parliament Elections

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.

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. 

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!

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.

European Parliament Education Hearing

Yesterday, the hearing on education organised in the European Parliament by AEGEE and ESU took place right after the closure of the Ministrial Bologna Process Summit in Leuven. Hosted by Katerina Batzeli, Member of the European Parliament and Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education, and supported by two of the Vice-Chairs Pal Schmitt and Helga Truepel who all came to speak and debate with 70 student and youth representatives as well as other interested people from the Parliament. 

A historic milestone for both AEGEE and ESU, we consider the event a great success. EuroparlTV came to cover the event, the results of which you can hopefully soon admire on this blog :-) 

  

Y Vote on Education

Elections, what elections?

Commissioner Potocnik joins Y Vote 2009

The sixth Y Vote convention started in Ljubljana on March 27th, 2009 with a distinguished guest. European multiculturalism was being closely examined in the »most beautiful city in the world« (words by the Mayor of Ljubljana we all remember from our General Assembly last April). Young people from 20 different European countries were exploring the topic focusing on languages, culture, education and media featuring workshops, excursions and speeches of several researchers and members of the European Parliament. For the first time in AEGEE history, a member of the European Commission contributed to the convention on its first day: Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for Science and Research.

There was a chance to talk about multilingualism, the topic of the day, but also to use the opportunity to get an insight view on the main European policies. During his speech on creativity, diversity and participation he pointed out some of the main trends that the European Union will face in the future: the climate change, power shortage, and most recently, the financial crisis. His suggestion was to focus on sustainability and to increase European and international cooperation in the field of research and development.

The meeting with the Commissioner overcame all expectations. Not only was he able to answer all the questions proving an incredible knowledge, but he was also open for further discussion. The participants perceived him as very natural and honest, speaking to such a young audience for the first time. calls

This was certainly a one of a kind opportunity for the participants of the Y Vote on Multiculturalism in Ljubljana. Apart from that, they enjoyed a truly multicultural week in the capital of Slovenia.

/Blog entry was written by the group of participants during the European Journalism Center workshop on campaigning in new media/

Y Vote Trieste on Enlargement

It was a peculiar Y Vote event, with no politicians this time. Location: Trieste, for its border position, the perfect place to talk about EU enlargement.
4 were the countries taken into exam: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We had Croats, Serbians, Slovenes, Bosnians, - including Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs – but also Slovenian minority from Italy and Italian minority from Croatia represented.

Thanks to prof. Pilotto, there were also Political Science students both from Trieste and Gorizia taking part in the event. The interchange between the youngsters worked marvellously. The speakers were pleased and amazed by the interest of the Italian students, for whom it was a precious opportunity to get in touch with the issue in such a direct way.
The ex-Yugoslavian speakers (mostly AEGEE members experts about the topic) prepared their presentations wonderfully, giving an exhaustive and personal insight of the situation in their countries, with focus on the issues connected with EU enlargement. The debate and the workshops which followed were rich and productive. It was an amazing learning experience for everybody, with no exception.

Led by Veronika Braun of the Y vote team, we could not miss crazy street actions! Many Triestinians, now proud Y Vote balloon or bracelet-carriers, were informed about EU parliament elections and convinced to vote.

The beauties of Trieste, the sea and the sunshine made the weekend even more special.
The event included a very typical evening featuring special guest Tiziano Bole with his guitar. Balkan songs, quite predictably, were often overtaking the scene to Italian and English ones.

Of course, everybody wants to join AEGEE now! :)

It was also a network development occasion: with Amel from Bosnia, with whom I was already in touch before, we had now more concrete talks about founding AEGEE-Mostar, and even the idea of an AEGEE-Tuzla came out with Merima.

What a pleasure attending such an event… Although an organizer, I feel restored!

European Parliament TV Debate