Crowdfunding (II)

How to support AEGEE Alicante Fundraising - by doing this you will make our project sooner to be able to start receiving money from donors in this crowdfunding adventure. Ah, you don't know what Crowdfunding is? Check previous blog entry on the topic.

How to help us. Step by step, even for non-spanish speakers.

0.- Copy&Paste this in your FB status!

1- go www.lanzanos.com

2- click on: identificarse

3- Scroll till FB option: Connect with facebook

4- Accept Terms&Conditions

5- Once connected, go to CAJA DE PROYECTOS (below the rocket)

6- Find Agora project. Click the + sign next to it.

7- Did you Copy&Paste in your status?

THANKS

Team working 2.0

The main tools for organizing an Agora are words. Communication is the key, as you have to create a team, you need to prepare a project, you need to convince a lot of people, you need to listen to many stories, you need to solve conflicts... so it is all based on communication. Even this same blog is just a big pile of words, more or less nicely arranged!

I am sure any team manager who has ever organized such a big project will agree with me. As an example, we all remember the Agora Istanbul team, which stayed interconnected all the Agora period with their walkie-talkies. Wewould like to have for Agora Alicante the same cool gadget (and their wonderful team motivaion), together with the electrical golf caddies of University of Alicante :D We are now working on that point on our FR campaign.

Besides words, the new resources online allow collaborative work when there is a problem of differences on time or space. Mailing lists, skype, google docs, facebook, are just some of the most basic ones, yet truly useful. Organizing an agora without them seems to me an even more gigantic task. So, my congratulations to all antennae who organized Agorae before 2005... Respect to the 1.0 generation (and earlier).

Agora Alicante team

Know Alicante University: The aeroplanes

The Campus of the University of Alicante is located in an flat area that used to be an aerodrome (from 1919 to 1978). Some buildings from that time are still there, as the control tower, which hosts nowadays the International Relations Society of the university, the meeting point of all Erasmus and exchange students. The old hangar (place used to keep the aeroplanes inside) has disappeared but its metal structure remains on place like an skeleton, hosting a lush garden with bamboo and tropical plants.

This is just one of the treasures the University of Alicante hides on its campus... more coming soon!!


Agora Alicante team

51th Agora... 25th anniversary from 1st Agora in Munchen

25th years ago, people from AEGEE-Munich were excited preparing the first Agora of the AEGEE History. I imagine how they felt, more or less the same excitement plus the extra buzz because of the unknown territory. After 50 Agoras, we are much luckier. In Alicante we have had time to talk with organizers of previous Agorae, and their advice and experience is very valuable.

I leave you here this map, so you can check which ones have been the previous agorae... Is your antenna on the map and you didn't even know?

Click to see an interactive map of statutory events

PS: thanks to Javi for the Map 

Know Alicante: La Explanada (The Esplanade)

It is a seafront promenade, originally built with rubble from the historic city walls, stealing area from the sea. The current design was built during the past century in image of the Copacabana seaside area (Brazil) with over 6 million mosaic tiles to draw a tricolor pattern (White, Blue, and "Red Alicante", as it is a special red stone extracted only in this area) and they symbolize the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. There are also four rows of palm trees that run from end to end.

It is a hallmark of Alicante, a meeting point for those who enjoy evening walks. You find hundreds of elderly people who enjoy sitting on chairs made of wood along the walk, and also a young crowd as here you find some of the best ice cream parlors in the city and many stalls where you can buy original gifts. From time to time, it's the scene of concerts by the Municipal Band and local rock groups.

Dear sister Riga

Did you know... that Alicante and Riga are Twin Towns? Not in the AEGEE meaniing but in the official list of twin towns. Check it on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga

Thanks to our dear Vice Chair Roberto who pointed the fact out! Now we know this small but very interesting detail. We want to take this opportunity to wish AEGEE-Riga again al the best. We send you even more support, more positive energy, more AEGEE Spirit. And a bit of warm Sunlight.

Crowdfunding (I)

Dear agora followers

We are thinking about opening a new way for funding. Any of you knows what crowdfunding is? Maybe you have heard of http://www.kickstarter.com/   Now there are some Spanish websites about the same idea: create a hosted website for a project to motivate people to send money and fund it, on exchange of different rewards that vary depending on the amount of money donated. There are still some details we want to examine but soon we will likely will have this new FR technique open in www.lanzanos.com. Stay tuned!

Agora Team

Wanted: Flagship topics

In Spring Agora Valletta (2007) the Flagship Project Sustaining our Future was born... the first time AEGEE dealt on big scale on sustainable development and environmental topics.

In Spring MagusAgora, AEGEE decided to go Beyond Europe and chose a project that broadened our horizon.

What will be the topics proposed at Agora Alicante? Have you started thinking about possible ideas?

   

Hunting at FITUR

Couple of days ago, Lía went hunting in FITUR, the International Fair on Tourism that took place in Madrid. We even got Lía a pass for the professional days of the Fair, and she mingled with the people in suits and ties!


Lía was there to find new sponsors, partners, ideas... The final results of the trip are still to be seen in the next days, when the company cards are transformed into emails that get positive answers... But I have to say that we are very optimistic, and proud of the idea we had, because in one same building we reached many interesting companies and institutions, and they were all there open to network (what is not often the case). It was funny to see their faces when they realised that I was representing a Student NGO! But as said before, I have the impression that some of the contacts we made will be very beneficial for the AGORA.

Time will show if I am right or wrong.

Videos, videos

Dear Agora followers

The team is now suddenly inmersed in a hot debate about the next Agora video, to be presented in EBM Riga... Just one email on our mailing list and everybody has an idea, an opinion, a suggestion. I love this collaborative work, even if chaotic sometimes.

Did you like the previous video? Could you see it in Istanbul? You can see it again here (and comment later).

And don't forget to become a follower of this blog, so you don't miss any of the entries!

Dreaming about the Agora

Organizing an Agora is something that really keeps your mind busy 100% of the time. Not only the main coordinators, but the whole team is experiencing this. Sitting down to study and finding yourself trying to identify new potential partners; get on the bus and starting to think about the design of the t-shirt; walking in the university campus and imagine where you can put the big Agora banner... We are Agora Mode: ON and nothing can stop us!

But the worst thing is when you are tired after a long day, you finally arrive to your bed, and when you manage to catch some sleep... you find yourself dreaming about the Agora! It happens often that the dreams are some kind of crisis, a small nightmare, like the one I dreamt last night: when we arrived with the whole group of participants to the Gym (where we will sleep during the Agora) and I found it already occupied by another group of people!!  I certainly prefer when I dreamt that, for the opening ceremony, Shakira was the guest star!

Miguel

The Trap (La encerrona)

TeaDear Agora followers

Lía also joined THE TRAP!

Friday Jan 7th and Saturday 8th were very special days for the Agora Team. During these days, a mini-event focused on team building, communication skills and getting to know each other was organized and 26 people took a break from studying for the exams of the first semester to attend THE TRAP. We even had some visit from some team members from external antennae,who soon blended with us. They contributed greatly and I would like to thank them for the effort to come. Those who could not join the event still regret their bad luck (although thanks to new technologies, they could also contribute).

Party at THE TRAP

The Agora Team was locked in one building for the whole duration of the event. They coud just leave for the outdoor Gymkhana. Well, and the party during the friday night, once the first workshops had been done!! It was a good one as the pictures in Facebook show.

The aim was ambitious and it was just partly achieved; of course 2 days were not enough, the team building has to continue, day  by day, email by email, and trying to meet each other as often as possible. With such a great people in the team, it is an enjoyable hard work!

Agora Team

Applications are open!

Dear Agora Alicante followers

Yesterday, the Chair opened the application period for our Agora Alicante with an Open Call on AEGEE-L.

www.aegee.org/statutory

Send your application now!

When I was reading the email, I could feel the thrill... for the first time I felt it is already here! Having a look to the first applicants I discovered that we have 50 applications on the first day; it seems quite a good start!

I am happy to see many friends and well-known people, but also many new faces. There will be people for whom our Agora will be the first one, and therefore we have the responsibility to make them love this wonderful experience so they get addicted, so soon they can be leading workshops, debating in prytannia or maybe candidating for a European position.

I don't want to close this entry before thanking all the people who are offering their help to our team, from different antennae in our area and also from far away antennae. It is nice to see you all care for the project and we want to thank you all on behalf of the whole team, because your contribution has already helped us to improve our Agora!

Yours,
The Agora Team

Introducing Lía

As many of you already know, AEGEE-Alicante is really happy to have a very special member: Lía la Parda.

Our dearest mascot has also become one of the faces of our Agora. She likes to be in the spotlight quite a lot. You can follow her on the social network (click here to visit her profile) and she will be present in this blog often. She will check everyday to see if her name is mentioned in the blog, because there will be posts everyday. She also loves comments :D

In case you are thinking about it... be careful! She is quite wild and if you try to kidnap her, she will use paws and jaws... The last one who tried to do it, became Lía's dinner in Agora Istanbul 

100 days. It's the final countdown!

Dear AEGEE friends, this is the first entry of the English version of the Spring AGORA Alicante 2011 blog. On these 100 days you will have the opportunity of stay updated on AGORA preparations, discover some inside secrets of our great event and meet our even greater team.

100 days ahead, some more days behind... Many tasks already fulfilled, so many more still in the to-do list. It is not an easy way, but our motivation is high!

We know most of you may be now with the mind more in a cold place like Riga, waiting for the EBM that will happen in some weeks. We are also really looking forward to this great event and we want to send AEGEE-Riga all our support and energy! But we have a plan: to have a post every day (ambitious!). 100 days, 100 posts. Will we manage? I recommend you to add this blog in your favourites or add the RSS feed!

Please send comments and help us enriching the blog with different points of view. This has to be interactive and the Network needs to become a part of it

Miguel Gallardo,

on behalf of Agora Alicante Team