Suddenly there was no Agora organizer anymore. During the general assembly in Zaragoza six weeks ago, the only candidate for organizing the Autumn Agora 2014, AEEGEE-Tbilisi, decided to postpone their application for half a year. The CD made an open call, giving just a couple of weeks for new candidates. AEGEE-Cagliari acted immediately. “It was a hard challenge, because time was limited and we had to work all day and all night long to be sure of writing a good candidature“, says AEGEE-Cagliari President Enrico Cadeddu. The good news from Brussels arrived last week Friday. “This was giving us an entire weekend of celebrations – that haven’t stopped yet!“
Golden Times: Enrico, how do you feel that you will organise the Agora? Excited? Scared?
Enrico Cadeddu: I already love our Core Team of 16 people, our way of working and I am really motivated about working on such a big event that just some weeks ago was a far dream. So I would say that I feel energized right now. I have never felt scared during these weeks because I was concious that working hard we could get the Agora. Now I’m just looking forward to the next months, because they will be decisive to see how the event will be like.
Golden Times: When and how did you get the good news?
Enrico: It was definitely the biggest satisfaction of my AEGEE life and one of the biggest emotions in my entire life. We were waiting for an answer from the CD for some days, we were sure that final decision was imminent. The news arrived thanks to the e-mail of Anna Gots, sent to me, Simone, who is the future coordinator, and AEGEE-Cagliari board. It arrived last Friday morning, giving us an entire weekend of celebrations – that haven’t stopped yet!
Golden Times: When will the Agora take place?
Enrico: According to our plans, the Agora will take place from the 29th of October to the 2nd of November 2014. We thought that these were the best dates for two reasons: First, thanks to religious celebrations – All Saint’s weekend and Cagliari’s Patron Saint – we can get easier facilites from institutions such as University and Municipality, because they are going to be free from official stuff. Secondly, participants and helpers are usually free of work and studies, so they can take part in the event more easily.
Golden Times: How was the application-writing? Did you get support from university, city hall and others?
Enrico: It was a hard challenge, because time was limited and we had to work all day and all night long to be sure of writing a good candidature. But thanks to a great teamwork we did more things than what we expected. We changed a crazy idea, which we had when talking big, into reality. We got support from institutions for facilities: the University gave us the accomodation and the City Hall is giving us the Teatro Massimo in the centre, where the plenaries will be carried out.
Golden Times: You got a lot of support from Italian antennae. Can you tell us more?
Enrico: We knew that for supporting our candidature it would be great to have support from the other antennae from Italy. They gave us a lot of motivation, starting from Zaragoza, when some of them already knew that we had the idea of applying once back in Cagliari. They wrote us, told us to insist in this project because it was a unique chance to get the Agora back to Italy after eight long years. We received more than 20 letters of support just from Italy and some from other countries too. It was absolutely awesome, because when we officially decided to apply it was feeling like a call to arms – and almost all the Italian antennae answered to the call saying: we are present, we are with you!
Golden Times: How many people can participate?
Enrico: We expect to host up to 800 hundred participants, divided in three gyms, which are part of the same University complex.
Golden Times: Were there actually other applicants?
Enrico: Very good question. When you will get the answer let us know it :D
Golden Times: Anything else you would like to add?
Enrico (smiles): Only our antenna slogan: OLIOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Check also the excellent article in The AEGEEan about this Agora: http://www.zeus.aegee.org/magazine/2013/12/10/aegee-cagliari-to-host-autumn-agora-2014/
