Report: Agora Alicante 27.4.-1.5.2011

Article posted: 22.08.11

In the end of April, Agora Alicante was a perfect opportunity to escape the rainy and cold weather to the Southern Spain. Agora gathered together 700 participants from 200 cities of 40 European countries to one of the most important events in AEGEE. Because of the Vappu celebrations there was no big group of participants from Finland, but happily the only Finnish delegate ran into many old friends from different AEGEE antennas as soon as she arrived at the campus area.

This Agora was a very busy one and lots of important issues were voted upon. The most interesting things included changes in types of Summer Universities: Summer Event was deleted while Summer Course’s minimum duration was decreased. Also, from now on, Travelling Summer Universities must include a minimum of 10 hours of tuition per week.

Another change in rules was about participation at statutory meetings. So far a local has needed to send delegates to at least 2 out of 3 Agoras/EBMs in order to fulfill the antennae criteria. From now on, however, it will not be enough to just send a delegate; the local must actually be present at all plenaries and at least one Prytanium per slot at an Agora or one Action meeting at an EBM. So no more skipping plenaries and sleeping late after a wild night out are going to be allowed… :)

After the amazing jungle party on Friday, on Saturday morning we gathered to elect the new Comité Directeur. Lucky as we were, also a member of AEGEE-Tallinn got elected. Well done Jüri! Most of the Helsinki local is also familiar with the new president of AEGEE-Europe, Alfredo Sellitti, who participated the Network Meeting in Helsinki last December. Now would be a good time to start planning a trip to Brussels, to visit all the familiar people at the CD House :)

Elina Varvas
Member