Key 2003/2004 - AEGEE Europe

AEGEE, in which all students feel at home...AEGEE - structureEGEE stands for Association des EtatsAGénéraux des Etudiants de l'Europe. It takesits name from one of the birthplaces of democracy:the Aegean Sea, and from the first parliament establishedat the dawn of the French Revolution, LesEtats Généraux.AEGEE is represented in 260 academic cities, in 42countries and by 17.000 students, and is thereforethe largest interdisciplinary student association inEurope. Its activity, not linked to any political party,is secular, and characterised by the voluntarism andnon-profitability of all projects.AEGEE promotes a unified Europe without prejudices,striving to create an open and tolerant societyof today and tomorrow by involving students andyoung graduates in valuable projects and discussionson topics of importance for the societies young peoplefind themselves in. It promotes communicationand integration in academic environments acrossEurope, and at the same time forms a network ofEuropean friends.Being truly European, AEGEE does not recognize thenational level and does not use national administrativestructures. The two levels officially recognized inAEGEE’s structure are: the local level, providing thecore for all activities and an opportunity for regularsocial meetings; and the European level, offering abasis for intercultural knowledge sharing by involvementin working groups and international projectteams. AEGEE members work for what they believein. In return they get personal satisfaction and atrust that they will have a say in the course ofevents. The European-minded find in AEGEE a perfectenvironment to learn and act as a European citizen.AEGEE: “Strangersare just unknownfriends”A Strong Voice for IdealsAEGEE, as a student organisation notlinked to any political party, providesprompt reactions to the needs arisingin student environments, creating aninterdisciplinary platform among students,enabling them to exchangeand share their ideas directly withEuropean as well as national decisionmaking institutions.Europe of colourful experiencesTraditional flamenco nights inBarcelona, limoncello tasting inNapoli, tango in the shadows of theCastle of Heidelberg, sauna inHelsinki - our continent's culturaldiversity opens its doors thanks toAEGEE. Our events are truly multiculturalexperiences, presenting thescale of Europe's national cultures attheir best, with participants comingfrom all overEurope andthus creatingthe environmentfull ofmutual curiosityand stimulatedinterest.A Living DreamEthical and idealistic valuesgive a clear directionaction. Thanks to highlyto all our activities. Theprofessional Internaldream of Europe withoutEducation events, as wellborders has inspired andas the opportunity tocontinues to inspire generationsof students fromorganise their ownevents and carry intothe Caucasus to theeffect their own projects,Atlantic. EuropeanAEGEE offers its membersaccess to a wideIntegration throughActive Citizenship, projectspromoting Peacevariety of tools for developingvarious personaland Stability, Higherskills and complementingEducation conferencestheir education with lifeand cultural exchangesexperience.are means to reach thisdream. AEGEE,an organisationwith only localand European A Model for Democracystructures andhaving nonational level,has influencedhistory in thespirit of a borderlessEurope,where nationalidentities areshared ratherthan protected,creating a spacewhere we all canlive our dreams.Non-Formal EducationPromoterActive debates and discussionsfind fertileground among openmindedstudents. Beingan interdisciplinary studentorganisation, ourevents deal with a widevariety of topics, allowingmeaningful expression ofour ideals throughAEGEE's main fields ofWith a core structure evolved over morethan 15 years into an example for anydemocratic organisation, AEGEE hasalways enabled students to make decisionsfor themselves and develop theirpotential as active citizens, now and inthe future. With the JuridicalCommission supervising the statutesand their application, the NetworkCommission improving co-operationwithin the network, and a range of othercommissions and working groups, a widevariety of options allow every student tofind a place within the organisation.ne of the factors distinguishing AEGEE from other stu-associations is its unique structure. It is character-Odentized by the lack of a national level, going directly from theEuropean to the local level (an academic city where AEGEE ispresent). This structure gives AEGEE a truly Europeandimension, reflecting our ideas of a borderless European continent,open for all its people to travel freely and feel themselvescitizens of one common Europe, free of prejudice.MembersAEGEE members are incredibly motivated young people, whowork for what they believe in, getting in return personal satisfactionand the hope that they have influenced the courseof things they have touched. In short, the European mindedfinds in AEGEE an almost perfect environment to learn andact as an European.AntennaeAntenna is the name of an AEGEE local group. An antennausually organises at least one European event per year aswell as any number of local activities. Currently there areover 260 antennae and contact groups in AEGEE in 42European countries.AgoraThe Agora, the General Assembly of AEGEE, meetstwice a year. Almost 1000 AEGEE members gather forthree days in order to discuss proposals, projects,strategies and policies for the following severalmonths. It is also the meeting at which allimportant decisions concerning the future of AEGEE aretaken.Planning MeetingThe Planning Meeting is the association's think tank. Itserves to give orientation for AEGEE's thematic work andtakes place twice a year: in March under the title "ThinkEurope!" and in September as the "Action Europe!" meeting.Comité DirecteurThe Comité Directeur, or board of directors, consists of up toof nine AEGEE members from at least four countries. EveryCD member has a particular area of responsibility. As a team,the CD is the chief administrative and representative body ofAEGEE, with responsibility for contact with the EuropeanUnion Institutions and The Council of Europe.Working GroupsWorking Groups are the thematic and specialist backbone ofAEGEE. They are international groups of AEGEE memberswho are interested a particular field. Some focus on a particulartheme, such as Human Rights, and others offer supportin a particular discipline, such as Public Relations.CommissionsThe Commissions are elected to support and monitor thework of the CD. There are currently four commissions: theAudit Commission, the Members Commission, the JuridicalCommission and the Network Commission.Project TeamsInternational project teams manage the Europe-wide projectsof AEGEE. These projects are composed of multiple coordinatedactivities in different places intended to achievespecific goals, either in the long term, or over a set period.Liaison officersLiaison officers are appointed by the CD and to be points ofcontact between AEGEE and other organisations, institutionsand companies, on the European and national levels. Theirwork is co-ordinated by the Liaison Office.What AEGEE means to me Focus on training Fields of action What is AEGEE? Introduction6 Key to Europe 2003/2004 Key to Europe 2003/20047