The Netcom Times Agora Enschede
2nd of May 2012
LOOKING BEHIND THE SCENES OF NETCOM
Tallinn, with its lovely old town, was one of the many stops on the Netcom trip, that included visits to Helsinki and Tartu as well. by Koen Berghuis one of the locals out there to like Turku were dying, why stops you still spend hours Some people in AEGEE give them random support. members of many locals are in your inbox, replying on think Netcom is a waste of In order to really achieve not motivated to be active, requests ranging from findmoney and all we do is trav- something, you have to do why they have problems con- ing a trainer for a LTC or eling around doing noth- a lot of research before you vincing people to do volun- helping a local getting their ing. So let’s take a look be- actually start. For example, tary work. At our first stop in SU approved. We have literhind the scenes of the work also in the United Kingdom Helsinki, we could therefore ally thousands of tasks like we are really doing! previous Netcommies have already discuss in more de- this aiding the network. And In January I arrived in done a lot of work research- tails what should be done in unlike organising a NWM, Kaunas, Lithuania (don’t ing what was lacking for order to strengthen this area. these tasks are not visible to worry Mickey Turati, I paid AEGEE on the Islands and During talks with the board the network. for the ticket myself) to laying out the groundwork even plans were discussed to After a year in Netcom, team up with my subcommie so that Beata as our current revive AEGEE in Sweden. I can only respect my colKarolina Mazetyte to embark Netcommie there can build A lovely ferry ride later leagues of voluntarily spendon a small tour of my north- on those experiences and re- and the next day we were in ing so much time, effort and ern locals. As Netcom has ally achieve something amaz- Tallinn. There, we mainly even their own money workchosen Scandinavia as one ing. It’s not that the NWM in discussed how we could ing on developing their area of its current focus areas, we London came out of the blue. structure the NWM that even when not everyone sees have been working on develWe started like this as would take place there two the results. But if you know, oping the greater Northern well in the north, spending months later, in order to have you can only thank the peoarea including the Baltics. hours emailing and skyping a true impact on the area. ple who served in Netcom It’s not that we just go to trying to find out why locals And in between all these the last year. I surely do.
Enschede
Words from the Speaker Dear Network, Everything in life is changing and AEGEE is not an exception. It was six months ago when the new Netcom team started its work and at this agora you can clearly see the results: 17 Network Meetings organised, lots of locals revived and a big number of new Contacts established. And this is just the visible part of our work! During this period the Netcom also managed to further develop its already well-known projects of Twin Antennae and Mentorship Cooperation. We also made a brand new website (aegee. org/netcom). Among others you can find there the latest information about Netcom, calendar of birthdays of our locals, information about our projects and much more. With this edition of Netcom Times you receive not only an exclusive chance to visit by yourself all parts of our Network with articles about various events, but also get acquainted with new Contacts and be the first to know important news from our big Network. In the next days of this agora a new CD will be elected, more Contacts will be accepted to our big family and of course new Network Commissioners will be elected by you. Life keeps on going, AEGEE is being developed, Netcom teams are changing, but what surely remains is that Netcom always keeps working for you and together with you. Europeanly yours, Olga Iatsyna
EU Integration for Eastern Partnership Countries: Close or Closed?
by Shushan Khachatryan Which are Eastern Partnership Countries? Perhaps this would be your first question while reading the headline of this article. Eastern Partnership Countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The name “Eastern Partnership” is connected with the open cooperation programme between the European Union (EU) and six countries which started in 2009 in Prague at the Eastern Partnership Summit. The core objectives of the cooperation are to form a political association, establish and develop a free trade area and abolish existing visa regimes. AEGEE with its Eastern Partnership Project which started in 2011 went even deeper by targeting youth in these countries working on ensuring equal opportunities. The main directions that AEGEE prioritise are Mobility in Education, Conflict Resolution
and Active Citizenship. So Eastern Partnership Programme suggests a totally different level of cooperation and a big progress is already visible. But generally speaking, the most important question is still open. Where is the cooperation between EU and Eastern Partnership Countries leading to? Do these countries have EU Integration perspective? The Eastern Partnership itself does not contain the EU accession condition but meanwhile it is not excluded. EU officials always mention a “more for more” principle in their speeches which means the more the countries’ will is to undertake reforms the more Brussels will support the further integration processes. The reforms include Political Dialogue, Trade and Economy, Freedom, Security and Justice, Energy and Transport, Education, people to people contact etc. In order to measure the EU integration level
and the progress on undertaking reforms of Eastern Partnership Countries an EU Integration index was recently introduced. The index showed that Moldova and Ukraine are in a leading position in the success of undertaking reforms, while Belarus and Azerbaijan are in the last places because of the political situation in those countries. There were even discussions to remove Belarus from the initiative. So weather the cooperation leads to EU integration or not, we as AEGEE should make a case for the inclusion of students from Eastern Europe – especially since they are already part of our Network. AEGEE has always played a vanguard role in the field of European integration, and we believe that by adding a serious youth perspective to the Eastern Partnership initiative of the European Union, we can make a unique contribution to building a common European society!
by Kateryna Kozhemiakina In April, AEGEEKyiv hosted the Human Resources European School (HRES), a 7-day international training course initiated by the HR Working Group of the AEGEEAcademy. The aim of the course was to empower youth NGO members who
are involved in the field of Human Resources to develop, implement and manage HR strategies in their organizations. More than hundred applications were received, but only 22 the most motivated members of AEGEE were selected to take part in the course. Four experienced
trainers from different NGOs were delivering sessions on recruitment, motivation, HR strategies, personality types, conflict management and other topics. The HRES organizing team consisted of more than 40 people and their work was highly appreciated. Participants said the event was an once-in-a-lifetime experience and every effort was being taken to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. Many people instantly became HR experts and hopefully will take back all their newly learned skills to their home locals.
Human Resources Adventure in Kyiv
The participants of HRES in Kyiv.
The scenery on the Beograd to Bar train line is maybe the best you can get in Europe, and includes crossing the second tallest railway bridge in the world.
Five Reasons Why You Should Travel Green by Koen Berghuis On a boring Sunday while watching a documentary about climate change, I came up with the idea to calculate how much I contributed to this phenomenon. As we in AEGEE are all avid travelers, keen to explore other countries and meet our friends all over Europe again, I started to calculate how polluting all my flights I ever took actually are. After some calculations, I found out I have flown more than 200,000 km already in my life, which is roughly the same as traveling halfway to the moon. In terms of CO2 emission, it’s the same as the average South African person emits in five years on all activities. Seeing the need for change but not wanting to give up my travel habit, I started to think about other ways to travel. Apart for worries about the future of polar bears, there are some other good reasons to consider other means of travel. Maybe the biggest reason of taking a train or embark on a road trip instead of wasting time in boring terminals which are the same all over the world anyway, is the sense of adventure. You don’t know what will happen on your journey,
each travel you have different experiences or might meet interesting new people in the train. Such journeys are also more comfortable. Sitting in a car or having the possibility to stretch your legs or drink a beer in the restaurant car of a train, for sure beats leaving a Ryanair plane completely crippled because of the quality of the seats and lack of leg space. Do you prefer a window seat in a plane? Why not just take ground transport to really absorb the beautiful scenery Europe has to offer. Our continent does have some of the most amazing roads and railways that will beat any view from any plane. And doesn’t sound the prospect of taking an overnight ferry, a train like the Trans Siberian Express or an epic road trip more romantic and awe-inspiring than asking someone to go on a 6-hour flight with a budget airliner with you? And the costs? Even train journeys can be very cheap if booked in advance or when using interrail, and traveling with a group in car or bus can beat any cheap flight. So next time, think about it again and skip the planes, even if it’s for only once you are already making a change!
Suit Up With the Dutchies! by Berend Küpers Dutchies and their suits. It’s a combination like bread and butter and being in the city of Enschede you will probably find yourself surrounded by suits, ties, dress-shirts and even the occasional tailcoat. Admired and ridiculed alike, this tradition is more than just another wacky expression of local culture. The habit of students suiting up for meetings, workshops and even parties, occasions where most normal people prefer the comfort of a t-shirt, stems from the traditions of the “corpora.” Corpora are large student associations which can be found in every Dutch student city of any importance. Nowadays more active than their central European counterparts, they are often compared to the notorious fraternities in the USA. Outsiders often have a very negative image of the corpora. This is mostly due to the massive alcohol intake of their members, rigid hierarchical structure, harsh initiation rituals and strict adherence to an incomprehensive set of unwritten rules, or “mores.” One might say an idealistic open-minded association as AEGEE should have noth-
Traditions
by Koen Berghuis Whatever you think about suits, there is one other Dutch tradition everyone visiting the agora should take part in. Each year, on the fourth of May at eight in the evening, the whole country comes to a standstill to observe two minutes of silence to commemorate fallen soldiers and civilians since the outbreak of the Second World War. We expect every AEGEE member to do the same this time!
ing to do with all of this. The corpora, however, did lead the way for a very active student culture in the Netherlands. They created a climate which enabled many locals in the region to flourish. Many antennae have borrowed some of the traditions of the corpora, not for fun, but because they have proven to be effective. Their hierarchical structures, which may seem unreasonably strict, do form a solid basis for any efficiently run students’ association. Many big Dutch locals, such as AEGEE-Utrecht or AEGEEEnschede, have used ideas from the corpora, introducing local commissions, advisory boards and year clubs, to form a professional and well integrated local. The actual purpose of wearing your suit everywhere is less clear, though probably it is a left-over from the time all students wore suits. To this day, in a lot of associations you can’t enter when you’re wearing anything less than a jacketand-tie (or “jasje-dasje” in Dutch). Many people have criticised this tradition for being elitist and exclusive, but showing off your nice attire is far from the point. In fact, the ties and blazers, usually bought at
AEGEE-Delft all suited up for their traditional constitutional drink. a second-hand shop for a sometimes obnoxious stu- we should become exactly couple of Euros, are treated dents then we would like like the corpora. We have with the greatest disregard to think. Their associations an association full of aweand are stained with alco- strive to bring people from some open-minded people, hol, dirt, flour and vomit. different studies together, united by the same ideWhatever the actual forming a network of friends als and we should not lose reason is, it does create a throughout the city; we do this. I am saying, though, sense of belonging togeth- the same on a European that perhaps we should not er. In much the same way scale. And although the CIA be so quick to judge other AEGEE-Istanbul proudly may have a clearer practical peoples’ customs and make wears their sweaters or use, to most people it is ex- some effort to try to find AEGEE-Alicante wears actly as incomprehensible as out the meaning behind their bright yellow shirts, the unwritten rules stating them. We have more in wearing similar clothes is who can sit where and who common than we think and not meant to exclude out- is allowed to wear a coat we could learn a lot from siders but to show pride for inside. Besides, if we are re- each other. And isn’t this your local or club and to feel ally honest with ourselves, what AEGEE is all about? a stronger connection with our alcohol consump- So why not give these tradiyour association and friends. tion at a European Night tions a chance and suit up! In fact we as AEGEE doesn’t differ that much might have more in com- from a regular corps party. mon with these unruly, I’m not saying at all
At RTC’s, You Are Not Alone!
by Lucille Rieux If there is a place in the network where the new RTC concept is having a big impact, it’s France. For the second time a RTC for French speaking antennae was held, this time in Paris. It proved once more that French antennae are here, willing to contribute to the construction and development of AEGEE. As you might now, France is well-known to be
one of the weakest parts of our network, but you would be surprised to know everything going on in this part of the network. For instance, only a few weeks ago AEGEE-Toulouse organised an exchange with AEGEE-Utrecht, granted by the Youth In Action program, on the topic on Euroscepticism. And very soon, AEGEE-Lyon will also host a Youth in Action event on Youth UnEmployment,
where they will discuss how voluntary work can be a way to get skills and competencies that actually empower young people when looking for a job. In some ways, these antennae are proving that even with little resources it is possible to actively contribute to AEGEE. And they also proved it during this RTC. The days were mainly dedicated to train French members, but also to share experi-
ences, ideas and problems. A RTC is one of the best ways to realise that you are not alone and isolated in your local with all your problems, but that there are actually other members willing to help you, to support you, and to share with you inspiration and ideas. Events like this definitely help to create some invisible link among the participants, starting to think as a group rather than as individuals.
News from the Network
Kaunas on its Way to the AEGEE World
By Justina Kariniauskaite The new contact Kaunas was officialy born in December 2011, but the idea to bring AEGEE back to Kaunas goes already back one year earlier. At that time, the president and founder of contact Kaunas, Karolina Mazetyte was studying in Hungary. When she found out about AEGEE, she immediately fell in love with it and became involved in AEGEE-SzombathelyKőszeg, eventually leading that antenna as president. When Karolina left Hungary to return to Lithuania, she knew that AEGEE needs to be in Kaunas again, as AEGEE can be a perfect place for young and motivated youth in the city to realize their ideas and do something
good for the society. Right now we already have around 20 members and have organized our first local event in Kaunas, called “Cultural crossroad: differencies and similarities.” Slowly, AEGEE is making a name in Kaunas. Sometimes we are disappointed when things are not going so smooth, sometimes we are happy when things are going better than expected, but we enjoy every single moment being in the AEGEE family. We are learning from LTC’s from experienced AEGEE members who give us advice, and we learn from each other everyday. We already became more than a group of AEGEE members in Kaunas; a family, loving and caring, sometimes arguing, but always supporting each
other in any situation. We already have many ideas for future events in Kaunas. In the following month we will organize green workshops for the local community about the need for recycling, as well as we will organise another film review and discussion. Plans for the longer term includes organising a political party fair for the Parliament Elections. The aim of the event is to provide knowledge about the programs of the political parties and ask questions to attending politicians and to promote the ideals of AEGEE to them. We are all happy that contact Kaunas will make the step this agora to upgrade to contact antenna. For sure you will hear more from us in the future!
AEGEE-Kaunas members during one of their social activities.
The rugged, volcanic island of Lanzarote is new in our network.
AEGEE Welcomes Two New Spanish Additions to its Network By Miguel Gallardo Albajar Sevilla will be upgraded to contact antenna this agora. Sevilla, located in the south west of Spain, is the capital of Andalucia and gathers the “arte” and culture of the region and frames it in an amazing collection of palaces and big parks. And let’s not forget the river Guadalquivir and some of the famous monuments like the Torre del Oro, la Giralda and the “Archivo de Indias”, a huge building hosting all the documentation of the commerce with America in times of the Spanish transatlantic empire. The antenna has been founded by oldies from Valencia and Las Palmas who have moved to Sevilla. Soon after, they found a group of local young people willing to grasp the AEGEE Spirit and together start the conquest of Europe in the Summer University this year.
Lanzarote is the third island of the Canary archipelago that joins the AEGEE family. This new contact antenna has the full support of the university and has already active members taking good care of growing stronger. The island landscape is really surprising as it reflects the natural history. Born from volcanic activity, the land has a dark tone that is lighted up with white houses with colourful windows. In the south of the island, a still active volcano provides you with a man-on-the-moon experience and later you can get lost in one of the small villages inland or rest on one of the beaches. The roughness of the landscape does not reflect on the people of Lanzarote; they are sweet and gentle. Just like netcommie Luis Alvarado, who is a “conejero” (translated as Rabbitman, as this is how they call people from Lanzarote).
work is Aldin Joldić. Two years ago he participated at NWM Sarajevo and found out he could get the job done. Since then he has been dealing with the long process of getting a support letter from University. But Aldin never gave up, which proves how big is his wish
to have AEGEE back again in Tuzla. Now he needs to gather more players for his new team and there is still a lot more work to do. I wish the new contact in Tuzla will overcome everything so in the end they can become one more Star at the map of AEGEE.
Overcoming Difficulties to Reestablish a Contact in Bosnia
By Marijana Roščić Anyone who ever established a new local knows that it isn’t easy work. There are lots of things you are supposed to do if you want to become part of our big AEGEE family. But reestablishing a local is even harder. You are supposed
to revive something that is dead, you are dealing with even more procedures (at least at the city council) and trying to find a new kind of confidence with your former partners. But in the end the result is always the same; happiness because you finally managed to be part of
AEGEE network again. Here we will present you the story about reestablishing a local which was deleted from our network in 2002 (founded 1995) – Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The person who took the responsibility to do all this hard
Let’s Develop Yourself!
By Marek Pezda “NWM Torún - Let’s do it! Develop Yourself!” was one from the biggest Network Meetings in the history of AEGEE. The event gathered almost 200 participants, including 16 trainers. These amazing numbers show how strong this part of our network is. A lot of people joined the workshops and discussions, and I was really happy to see almost everyone paying attention and getting involved
in the sessions. It was a real pleasure for me to work with this amazing team of organisers who delivered such a quality event. Delicious food, huge gym, awesome city game, nice social program, professional sessions and a lot of AEGEE spirit: they managed to deal with everything. I came back full of positive energy from this event, ready to focus on the next tasks for me as Network Commissioner.
The Real Magic of Cooperation in AEGEE
By Beata Matuszka One of the most anticipated Network Meetings among around 18 of this term was the one which was organised by the British locals and other AEGEE members from all over Europe: NWM London. Why London? Why now? Let’s find out how the magic happened during these fruitful months. Everything started in November 2011 when I as Network Commissioner of AEGEE-Abertawe, AEGEE-Durham and AEGEE-Sheffield, travelled to the United Kingdom to support the locals through days of meetings and trainings and creating strategies.
After those active weeks we started to think about what we can do for the British locals to be in the spotlight and the answer was clear: we should organise a Network Meeting. But where? We decided to take the most popular city, the real cultural melting pot, the capital: London. We had the problem of not having a local in London which definitely made the whole process much more difficult. But that wasn’t the only unique aspect of this NWM. The three locals cooperated perfectly. In the end, everyone could learn a lot from each other and the final cooperation results. I have to say, the par-
Your Idea, Your Business!
Lots of AEGEE members actively discussing at NWM Torún.
Reviving AEGEE-Valladolid
By Sergio Gómez Oliveros Valladolid, located in the middle of northern Spain, is the capital of the region Castillá y León. Founded by Conde Ansúrez and his wife in the eleventh century, it gained importance throughout the years as the capital of Spain from 1601 to 1606 and the place where Miguel de Cervantes and many Catholic Kings lived. Nowadays the city is known as the place where the most authentic and purest form of Spanish is being spoken. But let’s talk about more relevant matters such
as the history of AEGEE in Valladolid. AEGEEValladolid was a very strong antenna that hosted the Agora in 1996. With Pedro Paniza in 2006 the antenna even delivered AEGEE-Europe’s president. Unfortunately, due to some problems AEGEEValladolid disappeared a few years later. But just a short time ago, AEGEE was revived again in Valladolid. The spirit of the past is still there, new ideas are being developed and we’re all looking forward to show to the whole of Europe our strength again.
By Peppe Gianni In these times of uncertainty and recession, being young and talented is often not enough to find yourself a good job. Becoming an entrepreneur could be the only valid alternative to have the chance to follow your passions and create your desired “dream job”. With the motto “your idea is your business”, the European School of Entrepreneurship 2011 (ESE) was organized by AEGEE-Catania, in collaboration with Youth unEmployment Project and Youth Hub Catania Student Incubator. A wonderful team of trainers provided twenty participants from different student networks the necessary technical knowledge and soft skills to set up their
own enterprise. At the same time, University Professors and local entrepreneurs gave their contribution to the event by giving participants the chance to meet face-toface with successful people in an informal context. At the end of the event participants were enthusiastic because they felt they had gained a lot, asking organizers for a follow-up event with the same people to continue to learn and work on their ideas. I really hope that ESE would be considered as a best practice for professional events and that in the near future AEGEE will be able to increase the number of events centered on personal empowerment of professional skills of all the members of the network.
ticipants were also great. All people really actively participated in the sessions; they shared all their thoughts, concerns, best practices and experiences of being a board member or member of either a small or big local. And what can I say about the trainers? I need to admit, I’m speechless and so are the participants. As experts in their fields they managed to motivate all the people. Everyone could bring useful ideas back home. The NWM in London was one of the best weekends of my Netcom term. I would like to thank all the participants, organisers and trainers to make this amazing event happen.
Charity Work
By Stefana Milošević In March, AEGEEBeograd and AEGEE-Nis visited a school for children with special needs. As a gift we brought them toys and clothes our participants have been collecting all year. The smiles of these children were priceless to us. After visiting this school in Nis, we started an Easter project in Beograd with the intention to make the Easter holidays for children with cancer more special. Together with the children, we painted Easter eggs and made collages. Our team managed to get more than 1000 smiles. We are really proud of the results of these actions and we hope it will inspire other locals in our network to do the same.
“What are youTH Saying?” - Touring French Cities with AEGEE
By Lucille Rieux ”Speak Up - Bouge Ton Europe” is a project started by members from the French locals. They noticed that a lot of young people do not realise they have the possibility to express their opinion. The project is
aiming at increasing youth participation and European awareness by gathering young European people and together visiting different French cities in order to encourage young people to contribute. During the whole tour,
participants coming from different AEGEE locals will organise workshops on youth participation, share their stories and experiences, hit the streets asking young people for their opinion and work with high school students in order to
promote volunteering. It’s also a great opportunity to give AEGEE a higher visibility. Twenty-five years ago, AEGEE was on the front page of the main French newspaper. With this project we think that it is possible to get that kind of at-
tention again as AEGEE can give a unique impact on the lives of young Europeans. A small team is working hard on this amazing project that just received Youth in Action support. They will for sure keep you up to date on the next steps.
East or West, Maslenitsa in Belarus is Best
AEGEE-Minsk and AEGEE-Grodno recently came back into the European spotlights by organising an event in a country that is surviving not the best times in terms of international cooperation at this moment. Netcom Times’ Olga Iatsyna talks to both locals how they made this great achievement possible.
Olga: You made an international event in such a country as Belarus! What are your feelings about this? AEGEE-Minsk: We feel fantastic! We’ve managed
to organise an event after a long period of silence of our antennae. For us it was a matter of prestige as we have more complicated and challenging conditions for project management but at
the same time it’s a more interesting and exciting experience. AEGEE-Grodno: It is not the easiest time for our country, but we did our best and we do hope we have
Participants of the Maslenitsa event at Soviet Pioneers theme party.
Mickey Turati: Analyzing Network Meetings
Netcom’s biggest fan and biggest critic is back in this edition of Netcom Times! This time, Mickey is taking a closer look at Network Meetings! “In the last 12 months about 30 Network Meetings took place in Europe. The distribution of those events is very wide, from Portugal to Georgia, from the British Islands to sunny Sicily. This article is not a reminder for those antenna who haven’t sent any board member to a NWM, but yes, it’s an incentive: look around, if there are about 30 Network Meetings every year, statistically there’s 1,1 NWM every two weeks so being busy is not an excuse not to participate. Most of these events are organized for about 25 participants; this is the number that comes more often, followed by a NWM for 30 people. It’s important to remark that the big-
gest Network Meetings are always organized in Poland (for 150 up to 200 participants). Why is there such a big difference in terms of numbers from the Polish Network Meetings and the rest of the AEGEE Network? It’s a matter of identity, these events are considered very integrating and the cooperation among antennae in central Europe (seen also in Hamburg) is strong. The structure of a Polish NWM is so wide that there are parallel sessions running at the same time, focused on newbies, local level but also with space for projects and European level experienced people. A huge minus is that the number of non-Polish participants is about 10% of the total number of participants, which is quite strange, considering the high quality of the logistics and the programme. And be sure, you can still
meet Maciej Gad around, and me! If we look at the geographical distribution of Network Meetings, we see immediately that with 30 events and with AEGEE being present in about 40 countries, clearly some countries haven’t hosted such internal events. Plus, in many countries two Network Meetings took place. AEGEE isn’t much present in the North, while the events in København, Riga and Tallinn make a belt around Scandinavia. Another issue is what happens in the southern Balkans, nothing really took place south of Zadar. Online in the upcoming weeks, an extension to this article will be published, adding information about the costs for AEGEEEurope for each meeting, and a cost/benefit analysis of them all if the Gots are good!”
succeeded in it. We were rewarded with positive feedback from our great participants. It was a relatively small event but we did feel a lot of satisfaction. Olga: Was it difficult to organise the Maslenitsa event? Did anybody help or support you in this? AEGEE-Minsk: The most difficult thing was the stereotype that it is extremely cold in Belarus in February. It’s quite strange that most people still believe we are situated somewhere between Russia and the North Pole, full of bears with balalaikas, while it takes only five hours by car from Warsaw to get to Minsk. AEGEE-Grodno: As our AEGEE-team is not very numerous, everyone was supposed to do a great deal of work. During our event preparation, Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno carried out strong support in organising issues. As we are not officially registered yet, we got the support through the organisation “Youth-inclub”, the members of which are actually the members of AEGEE-Grodno. The organisation of the event in Belarus requires from us to be quick-witted, creative and even sometimes tough. Olga: Did you meet any obstacles from the government while organising the event in your cities? AEGEE-Grodno: No, actually we didn’t face any obstacles from the govern-
ment. As our event was pretty small-scale, it was not broadly promoted. The invitations for acquiring visas were sent with our private addresses. AEGEE-Minsk: And all Belarusian AEGEEans are law-abiding citizens! Olga: What kind of activities did you organise? AEGEE-Minsk: The participants had a unique chance to taste the most delicious winter holiday by eating pancakes, drinking our national drink “Krambambulya”, dancing chorovod, singing national song Kupalinka and jumping over the burning sculpture of Winter. AEGEE-Grodno: In Grodno, we also organised such activities as a cooking workshop, the knights’ performance, a fire show, the traditional tea-time party and of course going to the sauna. Olga: Do you have any plans for other activities in the nearest future? AEGEE-Grodno: We have some plans and ideas to arrange new events. Belarus has such a huge potential with its culture, history, nature, and certainly the people. So Europe, wait for more news from Belarus! AEGEE-Minsk: Now we want to concentrate more on local activities as we strongly need to give a rebirth to the life in our antenna. But don’t hesitate to visit us one day in Belarus!
Editorial Board
Editor in Chief & Layout: Koen Berghuis Editors: Olga Iatsyna, Lucille Rieux, Mickey Turati, Sergio Gómez Oliveros, Beata Matuszka, Peppe
Gianni, Stefana Milošević, Marek Pezda, Marijana Roščić, Berend Küpers, Miguel Gallardo Albajar, Kateryna Kozhemiakina, Shushan Khachatryan, Justina Kariniauskaite.