Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l‘Europe European Students‘ Forum HISTORY OF AEGEE Regional Board Meeting Groningen, 6th of March 2004 Lecture by: Koen G. Berden

© Koen G. Berden QUOTES “People who don’t know their history are condemned to repeat it” (Napoleon) “Look at the past to understand the present and to plan the future” (Winston Churchill) “Smile, tomorrow can be worse !” (Murphy)

© Koen G. Berden The Network TO RUSSIA FROM FINLAND TO TURKEY FROM PORTUGAL

© Koen G. Berden 1985 EGEE I in Paris - the beginning (16-22 April 1985) Conference of 400 students organised by 5 Grandes Ecoles + Sorbonne + Bureau des Eleves Creation of the statutes: CIA (July) Strong support from European Capitals (eg. Thatcher, Andreotti, Lubbers) Six founding locals : Paris, London, Leiden, Milano, Madrid, Munchen

© Koen G. Berden Who is this? Franck Biancheri First President of AEGEE-Europe (1985 – 1988)

© Koen G. Berden 1986 The European Nights - video-links between 7 cities all-over Europe Loss of ecu - resolved EGEE II – first General Assembly (Agora) in München (April) Adoption of the structure First democratically elected European Board (CD)

© Koen G. Berden 1987 CD has lunch with François Mitterrand France convinced of necessity of Erasmus-programme (March 18 th ) Euromanagers conference in Köln  EMDS Agora – Sevilla (November)  Affirmation that AEGEE is political although not linked to any political party  Creation of the Juridical Commission and Audit Commission

© Koen G. Berden 1988 Presidents’ Meeting in Louvain-la-Neuve First Presidents’ Meeting preparing an Agora (February) EGEE IV – Agora in Milano (April) EGEE becomes AEGEE Vieri Bracco succeeds Frank Biancheri as president First project “Summer University” (11 cities) IDE – Initiative for a Democratic Europe Severe conflict of role AEGEE in party politics. Result: AEGEE insists on being politically independent

© Koen G. Berden 1989 Agora in Salamanca (April) First News Bulletin (by AEGEE-Amsterdam) Moot Court (October - Firenze) Agora in Salerno (November) AEGEE opens up towards Central Europe CD reduced to 16 people Leipzig first AEGEE Contact beyond the former “Iron Curtain” East West Working Group founded

© Koen G. Berden 1990 AEGEE-Turku/Åbo first Contact in Nordic Countries PM in Munchen (March) The criteria for Contacts, Contact Antennae and Antennae were set Agora in Bonn (November) AEGEE opens up to the USSR Quo Vadis : AEGEE non-EU as well or not? TEAM

© Koen G. Berden 1991 PM in Groningen (February) AEGEE searches for possibilities to move to Brussels AEGEE starts to discuss about Summer University Coordination Team moves from Maastricht to Milano First European School in Madrid (July) Agora in Budapest (November) Opened with a big panel-discussion about the United Europe

© Koen G. Berden 1992 AGORA in Kós, organised by AEGEE- Athina AEGEE expands partly to Turkey First Year Plan was presented First ‘Key to Europe’ was presented AEGEE gets consultative status at OSCE

© Koen G. Berden 1993 AEGEE gets consultative status at the Council of Europe (March) The first “Case Study Trip” (to Albania) AGORA in Praha (April) Pavel Miladinovic becomes the first non-EU-Citizen as President of AEGEE-Europe AGORA in Utrecht (November) Zsuzsa Kigyós becomes the first female President of AEGEE-Europe

© Koen G. Berden 1994 YP: Europe against Discrimination AEGEE-Europe gets its first Website Agora Montpellier Dorian Selz resigns as president Quality vs. quantity Human Rights Working Group founded

© Koen G. Berden th Anniversary AEGEE 10th Anniversary Book is presented (May) Agora in Amsterdam (April) The whole of Turkey included into the AEGEE- network AEGEE includes both Bosnian and Serbian Students Discussion over political statements

© Koen G. Berden 1996 Round Table on the Euro (January) YP: Find Your Way to and within an Open Society European Project “AEGEE and the ICG” AEGEE-Europe moves to Brussels AGORA Athina (November) reduction of the number of CD members split up the vote on the President and Secretary introduction of the Network Commission

© Koen G. Berden 1996

© Koen G. Berden 1997 YP: Europe and Euro (€ profit) David Stulík becomes the Young European of the Year (June) First Socrates Action Day (November)

© Koen G. Berden 1998 Agora in Maastricht (April) African students invited official in plenary All moral reports rejected Agora in Hamburg (October) Big panel-discussion about Education in Europe The whole of Cyprus included into the AEGEE- network Task Force AEGEE became member of the European Youth Forum

© Koen G. Berden 1999 PM in Novi Sad (2 weeks before the war started) First AEGEE conference in European Parliament “Education for 2020” (March) Specialization in Internal Education PR European School IT European School European School II Agora Barcelona (Coup d’Etat)

© Koen G. Berden th Anniversary Year Partnership agreement between AEGEE and UNESCO Peace Summit Newropeans Case Conference in the European Parliament (June) YP: Borderless Europe

© Koen G. Berden 2001 White Paper on youth policy First Planning Meeting Katowice YP: Quo Vadis Europe AGORA Constanta Strategy Plan adopted AGORA Ankara Two presidential candidates

© Koen G. Berden 2002 YP: EURECA Project Global Employee (after Euro- Managers and TEAM of 1987 & 1990) AGORA Amsterdam (May) Moral Report rejection; CD resignation Main fields of action, Strategy Plan, Yearplan AGORA Athina (November) Find Europe Co-ordination Team

© Koen G. Berden 2002

© Koen G. Berden 2003 YP: Youth & Globalisation AGORA Bucuresti & Zaragoza Financial difficulties AEGEE-Europe Discussion: Aims of AEGEE? Still relevant? Voyager Working Group founded Foundation AEGEE Trust Fund (FATF) For 2004: European Identity

© Koen G. Berden AEGEE STRUCTURE How does it look? –Locals / Members –Agora –Comite Directeur (9 members) –Commissions: JC, AC, MemCom, NetCom, Chair –Planning Meeting (Think, Action) –SUCT / Find Europe –Working Groups

© Koen G. Berden AEGEE ACTIVITIES SERVICES ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP ?

© Koen G. Berden AEGEE MEMBERS FUN IDEALISTIC CAREER

© Koen G. Berden FUTURE What will be the future of AEGEE ? What will be YOUR future in AEGEE ? ?

© Koen G. Berden And … Thanks a lot for your attention! Now its your turn to add to AEGEE and its history and continue the sparkle!