AEGEE

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What is AEGEE?

European Students' Forum

Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe (AEGEE)

"AEGEE is a simulation of life."
Bilge Güven (Honorary Membre of AEGEE-İzmir)

AEGEE is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 13.000 students, active in 240 academic cities, in 40 countries all around Europe, which presents amazing culture variety. AEGEE is a secular, non-profit organization, not linked to any political party. All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work of its members.

Aims:

• to promote a unified Europe without prejudices
• to strive for creating an open and tolerant society of today and tomorrow
• to foster democracy, human rights, tolerance, cross-boarder co-operation, mobility and European dimension in education

Fields of action:

• Cultural Exchange
• Active Citizenship
• Higher Education
• Peace & Stability

Activities:

• Action Days: At the same time, all over Europe AEGEE locals carry out various activities, which deal with one topic and together provide a great and complex composition of results, e.g.: Socrates Action Day, European Day of Languages or Dance Action Day
• Case Study Trips: Research trips aiming to increase the knowledge on a specific topic (like democracy, youth issues, standards of living and study, nationalism and minority issues) concerning a specific area.
• Projects: Every year, during a General Assembly (AGORA), AEGEE members decide on a Yearplan Topic -the tematic frame for projects involving whole Network, e.g. "Youth & Globalization" (2003), "European Identity" (2004), "Tolerance - Acceptance - Peace" (2005) and "Take Control. Ways to Democracy in Europe" (2006). Moreover AEGEE organizes various conferences, seminars and smaller projects on local and European level.
• Summer Universities: Unique international summer courses, successfully carried out by AEGEE already for 18 years! Every year, in around 100 places all over Europe, multicultural groups of 20-50 young people, enjoy together the wonders of cultural variety. They can focus on: art, history, languages, nature or sports.
• Trainings: AEGEE offers to its members a professional Internal Education System with about 8 international trainings (different kinds of "European Schools") and many Local Training Courses per year. Trainings are based on a balanced combination between theory and practice in the formula of lectures followed by casework. Trainings are a tool of knowledge transfer within the organization, help members to develop their personal skills and complement education with lifetime experiences.

Structure:

No national level: In order to really promote international co-operation and avoid creating any physical or mental borders AEGEE does not recognize any national level or national administration in its unique organizational structure, which is based on:

• Local level: Where people from the 242 autonomic AEGEE locals directly implement AEGEE aims in a way that serves best the needs of their local community
• European level: Which gives the great common frame and direction for all local activities and provides a platform for international co-operation in multicultural teams

Members from local level can directly get involved in the European Working Groups, Project Teams and Commissions.

Last but not least, AEGEE is made of incredibly motivated young people, who work for what they believe in. In return they get personal satisfaction from making influence on the world around and gather experience, which enriches their whole life. The dream of Europe without borders has inspired and continues to inspire generations of students from the Caucasus to the Atlantic shores and makes AEGEE permanently developing.

Working Groups:

·         AEGEE-Academy

·         BoBiGoSa

·         Culture Working Group

·         Dance Working Group

·         Education Working Group

·         Environmental Working Group

·         Human Rights Working Group

·         Information Technology Working Group

·         International Politics Working Group

·         Public Relations Working Group

For further information visit www.aegee.org