What are the AEGEE Working Groups doing in 2014? What did they work on in 2013? The Working Groups are called AEGEE’s thematic backbone for a reason: they are assembling a lot of people who have a special interest, such as international politics, languages or environmental issues. And – other than the mostly rather short-lived projects – they work on these subjects for many years. The Golden Times asked the eight AEGEE Working Groups and the AEGEE Academy, which has been a Working Group for 14 years, but is currently changing its status, what they can offer to today’s members. In this first of two articles you will find the answers of the AEGEE Academy, the Environmental Working Group, the Human Rights Working Group, the Language Working Group and the Sports Working Group.
AEGEE Academy
What’s the aim of the Academy?
The Academy is a group of young, motivated trainers from all over Europe, aiming to provide high quality non-formal education trainings that facilitate the self-development of our trainees and help build an even stronger AEGEE community.
How many members do you have?
We have around 80 members.
What were your working group’s main activities and achievements in 2013?
In 2013 we revised the Mentor Program, created a new Human Resources and Public Relations strategy, enhanced our relationship with the CD and external partners, are building currently a new website, chose our new logo and a slogan: “The Academy – Learn and Share!” Of course we have also been busy supervising many trainings, like European Schools and the pilot of the very first Self-Development European School.
What are your planning for 2014?
In 2014 we will implement and execute the new Human Resources and Public Relations strategy, enhance the communication with the AEGEE members, recruit more trainers and launch the new website – including a new training material database and online pool with trainers profiles. We will also start working with impact measurement techniques to monitor outcomes and quality of our trainings. Next to this we will have our regular tasks like planning and supervising trainings all through Europe. And of course: the Academy will draw up new statutes and sign the Convention d’Adhesion at the spring Agora Patra, since we are no longer a working group, so that will be exciting!
What’s the address of your Facebook page and website?
www.facebook.com/groups/133442246683128. We will publish the link to our new website soon.
How can interested members join you?
We always welcome fresh blood into our pool of trainers. Interested members can apply by simply e-mailing the board that they wish to apply via: board@aegee-academy.org . They will then receive an application form via e-mail back.
These answers were sent by Academy speaker Maartje Natrop.
Environmental Working Group
What’s the aim of the Environmental Working Group?
The aim of the Environmental Working Group is not only to raise awareness of AEGEE members regarding all the environmental topics and problems, but also to promote a more sustainable way of life as an alternative and part of the solution of a variety of environmental issues.
How many members do you have?
We have 206 members.
What were your working group’s main activities and achievements in 2013?
We are happy to say that we did plenty of activities this year. Every month we had one social skype meeting with the members, discussing current environmental topics such as energy transition, the Arctic and many others. We also developed and sent an internal newsletter every month in order for our members to be informed about our current actions, presented a workshop at the EBM Valetta 2013 related to air pollution, presented a workshop at the spring Agora Rhein-Neckar regarding food, organized the European Day of Environment (EDE) – and we are going to present a very interesting workshop at this autumn Agora in Zaragoza with the name “The girl who silenced the world for five minutes”. So don’t miss it!
What are your planning for 2014?
During 2014, the next term’s board is planning to focus on gaining more visibility and proceed to further cooperation with other working groups as well!
What’s the address of your Facebook page and website?
Our website’s address is www.aegee.org/wgs/environmental-working-group/ and our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/groups/5606972759/ . Don’t hesitate to join us!
How can interested members join you?
Members who are willing to be subscribed to our lovely working group can contact us by e-mail on enwg.aegee@gmail.com. The rest will be taken care of by our Secretary!
These answers were sent by Christianna Fokia, Secretary of the EnWG.
Human Rights Working Group
What’s the aim of the Human Rights Working Group?
Our aim is to help young people learn and be aware of human rights, and to take action when the situation calls for it. In addition to this we organize events during which the participants not only get informed about human rights, but also come in direct encounters with the target group – for example people who have suffered from human rights violations. This is broadening their way of thinking and leads to a mutual understanding.
How many members do you have?
Around 60.
What were your working group’s main activities and achievements in 2013?
We took part in the campaign against Hate Speech Online of the Council of Europe with an event in Bratislava, we organised an event on migration issues in Europe in Leuven in cooperation with Amnesty International, and we organised an action of solidarity for the Turkish protestors.
What are you planning for 2014?
First of all, we are working on a project on human rights education, more specifically in the field of democracy. Besides that our main fields of action for the following year include human rights education, xenophobia-racism and discrimination, gender equality and LGBT rights. It will be a busy year during which we hope to promote awareness about this issues and inform people, and at the same time try to be pro-active on these issues with the organisation of some events or actions.
What’s the address of your website and Facebook page?
Though the HRWG does not have a website yet, our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/humanrightswg
How can interested members join you?
By signing up to the HRWG-L through lists.aegee.org, or by sending an email to hrwg@ageee.org for more information.
These answers were sent by Danae Matakou, Speaker of the HRWG.
Language Working Group
What’s the aim of the Language Working Group?
Our aims are: raising awareness about the importance of multilingualism and language learning, the multilingual heritage of Europe and the linguistic rights of regional minorities.
How many members do you have?
We have 43 members, based on the subscribers on our mailing list LWG-L.
What were your working group’s main activities and achievements in 2013?
First, the European Day of Languages Action Day, which will take place in a few weeks, on 21st of November. We also co-organised some thematic summer events and collaborated with some Summer Universities.
What are you planning for 2014?
Again, a European Day of Languages Action Day, on 20th of November 2014. Also collaboration with some SUs, more collaborate with other WGs, collaboration with the “Europe on Track II” project, creating some translation tools and a platform for AEGEEans to improve and learn languages through communication.
What’s the address of your website and Facebook page?
Our website is www.projects.aegee.org/edl/wordpress, our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/edlaegee.
How can interested members join you?
Simply send an e-mail to lwg@aegee.org introducing yourself. Please mention your local and the languages you speak, tell us why you want to join the LWG and your plans about the work in the LWG, if you have concrete ideas. Easy, right?
These answers were sent by Adri López Smith, Human Resources Responsible of the LWG.
Sports Working Group
What’s the aim of the Sports Working Group?
The Sports Working Group is there to make a difference with sport in the political agenda and combat important issues such as homophobia, racism and physical inactivity.
How many members do you have?
We have around 40 members. However we do not have so many active members. But the interest is definitely there.
What were your working group’s main activities and achievements in 2013?
The Sports Working Group was involved in different Summer Universities this summer and there have also been sport events in the Network with and without SWG involved. The SWG has learned many things throughout and developed several ideas to work on in 2014. Especially popular was the “Football against racism” at the Agora Rhein-Neckar, which is an idea to build on and to repeat at Agora Patra potentially. The AEGEE games unfortunately got cancelled, but the interest in the network is there – and now the SWG members have more knowledge about how to organise it successfully in 2014. Together with policy officer Eline de Graaf and the HRWG we also developed the concept of the International Day Against homophobia (IDAHO), dancing flashmobs which is something in the interest to work on in 2014.
What is your working group planning for 2014?
This mostly depends on the new board taking over after Agora Zaragoza. As mentioned above, what people are really interested in is the dance flashmob for IDAHO with the HRWG and a football tournament for a great cause in connection with Agora Patra. We are also working on being involved in some Winter Universities, the AEGEE Games will hopefully be organized in 2014 and there are much more things to work on. Basically the SWG has a lot of potential, especially because of the new Erasmus+ program that has a focus on sports and also because there are so many things you can do with sports to reach and involve people.
What’s the address of your website and Facebook page?
Actually, as we are not so big IT experts it has taken us a while to create the SWG website, but it’s finally here and the timing is perfect. It carries the new design made by the CD and following the visual identity and hopefully it will be full of content soon: www.wg.aegee.org/SWG. The Facebook page is here: www.facebook.com/SWG.aegee.
How can interested members join you?
Anybody interested in making a difference through sports can join us through our Facebook page or our new website where the application can be found, or contact us at swg@aegee.org.
These answers were sent by Patricia Anthony, Secretary of the SWG.
