One week after

One week since I posted here last time... Seems like it was a month, but has been just seven days, full of emotions and therefore, they are perceived as if they were much more.

It is just a warming up post, to state that we are here, we are alive and we have still many things to share with all you, dear Agora followers...

Lost and Found items
Some photos
Impressions from Organizers
And more...

We are open to receive your suggestions!! Use the FB wall down there!

Back in office, Miguel

Blogging from the agora

Hello dear Agora followers

Do you see us nice in the streaming? Say hi to the blog readers on the FB wall! Here is the link to streaming page.

Myself I am fine, exhausted but quite satisfied with the results of the first day. Team worked almost perfect, especially under pressure. New members have been acting like experienced, oldies were as nervous as if it was their first Agora. And the whole Opening Ceremony was dancing with the Flamenco show in the New Adda (Auditorio de la Diputación de Alicante).

Now it is time to go back to work... But I am loving it!

                Posted by Miguel

Agora is here!

I will try to have some time to update the blog from now on. Cannot promise!
But you can always have a look at the latest posts and write your best wishes in our FB wall!

Last minute threats

I had heard many times that there are always surprises in the last days before Agora, and one week ago I was thinking it was just a legend... and then, the party began!

Changes in the Open Ceremony program: cancellation of the reservation for the Santa Barbara Castle, solved after some runs with papers signed and stamped here and there...

Changes in the Open Ceremony program (part II): "Las Belleas del Foc" (The Fire Beauties) wanted to make their own party on the castle the same day and time we have the Open Ceremony. As they are the institutional representatives of the main festival in Alicante (Hogueras de San Juan, our own version of the Fallas), they had the right to kick us out of the castle. So just some more phone calls, and wait for a very long day... but we also dismantled this danger!

Rain: For three days we have had lots of rain, although to be honest, I cannot say this surprises me at all, since at any AEGEE-Alicante event I have organized we have had some rain. And it should not surprise you because I have told you many times in this same blog! I just wish there is no rain tomorrow during the Study Fair. It seems it will be ok: LINK

Late deliveries: Some of the stuff we need for tomorrow is not here yet... So tomorrow, before the opening ceremony, we will still need to care about deliveries and some more runs up and down.

Fumigation in our Pre-Agora Gym: this morning we had to "evacuate" the High School where we were staying because they had forgotten to tell us that they were going to spray everything with chemicals... so we had just some hours to find a place where we can stay tonight. We did it,we are not sleeping under the stars...

Time for pre-Agora surprises has come to an end. The rest of unexpected problems, will be already part of the Agora! And the team, we are ready to solve them!

              Posted by Miguel

Party Time!

Every Agora has its secrets: it is time to unveil the so-called Social Program! (updated on Aprul 22nd)

Wednesday 27th: PROM PARTY

Who has never dreamed on joining one of these Prom Parties that we have seen in so many TV series and high school movies? With its King and Queen of the party, the muscled quarterback, the nerd with the laboratory outfit, the gang of rappers, the hot Chair-leaders, and everybody nicely dressed (after the Opening Ceremony in a fancy auditorium, you will be already suited up). Of course, there will be surprises, we want this night to be special for you...

Thursday 28th: EUROPEAN NIGHT

Get ready the best gastronomy jewels of your region and share them with us! After the big success of Riga's European Night, we want to have another really cool-tural EN with your participation. We hope you have sent to the CWG detailed information on everything you have prepared: videos, songs, perfomances... I heard rumours there is also many surprises proposed! Of course, we invite you to wear your traditional costumes in order to have the most cultural, tasteful and European of the Agora Nights! European Nights will never be the same after 2011!

Friday 30th: SURPRISE PARTY

We know you will be all exhausted after the intensive program... So let us take care of everything for this party. We will make it unforgettable. Just trust in your dear organizers. Do you dare?

Saturday 30th: JUNGLE PARTY

Everybody loves Lia, we know you can help it. But we want you to show your you are a true Lía friend at the wildest party of the Agora. Join the pack, join the pride, be one of us! You will not enter the party without wearing animal print on your clothes, or a t-shirt with animals on it! The Agora T-shirt is an approved outfit, but we encourage you to be original and creative! Show us what is the animal you hide inside and get into the jungle with us!

      Posted by the whole team :)

Spanglish

Ai am taier about dis topic. Ebribodi ripits de seim eguein an eguein. Guat Espaniards espik is not Espanglis!!! Jamón!!
Okei, ai admit dat sontaims güi jaf esmal misteiks… its nourmal, as evri oder person, güi jaf ogüer oun lengüich, güiz som saunds similar to Inglis uans, an som oders totali diferent, an prisaisli dis last uans ar de mos dificalt for as. Bat at list güi trai! Ai don laik güen pipol laf at as güen güi sei: bitch, fool, shit or cat. Yu ar sach a ful if yu zink yur Inglis is perfek…
Olrait… excep if yu ar Britis ;) or the baischer ;)

If you want to "translate" this text, pass the mouse with the button pressed just under this line...

I am tired about this topic. Everybody repeats the same again and again. What Spaniards speak is not Spanglish!!! C’mon!!
Ok, I admit that sometimes we have small mistakes… it’s normal, as every other person, we have our own language, with some sounds similar to English ones, and some other totally different, and precisely these last ones are the most difficult for us. But at least we try! I don’t like when people laugh at us when we say: beach, full, sit or cut. You are such a fool if you think your English is perfect…
All right… except if you are British or the Vice-Chair  ;)


                Posted by Juanola

Agora Alicante at the NWM Granada

We have just arrived home, from the amazing NWM in Granada! Being the first NWM that has been organized following the new guidelines set up by the NetworkCommision, it was quite a great surprise :) that the program ran so smoothly.

It looked sometimes like a dream. Participants were active members in their antennae, and they contributed with their own experience and best practices. You could see antennae debating the meaning of the proposals, asking questions about who is who in the candidates list, going through the program of an Agora to explain what will be happening at any time and where they can contribute the most.

Now I am simply exhausted. But happy.

Thank you AEGEE-Granada, you did a great work! I hope this event multiplies your motivation!
Thank you NetCom (assistant) Luis for coordinating the NWM, with support of NetCom Lucille.
Thank you AEGEE-Alicante for joining me on the trip to Granada.
Thank you Academy for helping us!
Thank you to all the participants of the NWM for their participation and contribution!

And special thanks to the External Agora Organizers that came also to Granada: Guille from AEGEE-Barcelona, Antonio and Coral from AEGEE-Madrid, Soraya from AEGEE-Coruña. You are real good!

Alicante - Skopje - Izmir - Enschede

We have finally the list of organizers of statutory events for the next whole year. Roadmap: Alicante to Skopje to Izmir to Enschede! Sounds like a very nice itinerary, some places I already know, some other will be new for me... all of them have already organized an Agora before, so for sure they have experience and knowledge in their archives

 It is inspiring for us to see that, beyond our work, there are other teams that are now following our steps, the same way we did in Krakow, Leiden, Amsterdam and Riga. I can imagine my friends from those antennae feeling the same thrill, minds boiling with ideas,stress levels still low... We want here to offer you all our help, as much as possible. Please understant that, before and during the Agora your questions may not be on our priority list even if we'll try to answer them as soon as possible. After the Agora, you can count on us for the Knowledge Transfer.

Maybe we can even organize a meeting the day after the agora with representatives from all these antennae, I wonder what the main coordinator will think about this idea... And you?

                               ;) Posted by Miguel

Message from Incoming Team

Dear Spring Agora Alicante 2011's participants,

Please, read carefully this message and help Agora organizers to do our work as fast and efficient as possible!

PARTICIPANTS THAT DO NOT NEED VISA
      - the only way to confirm your assistance is by paying in advance (by bank transfer or credit card payment). Deadline is tomorrow 25th March!!!!
Follow the instructions written in our website:
http://www.agoraalicante.org/index.php/en/useful-information/confirm-your-application

      - there is no need to send your plane tickets, they are not a valid confirmation!!

PARTICIPANTS THAT DO NEED VISA


      - please, if you haven't done yet, contact the Incoming Team as soon as possible (incoming@agoraalicante.org), to let us know that you are coming. We have been asking for your personal information + passport info (nr, date of issue and expiricy date) + address to send you the original invitation letter. You can find more information in our website:
http://www.agoraalicante.org/index.php/en/useful-information/confirm-your-application

      - it would be very helpful if you would be able to gather all the information from members of the same antenna and give us the name and address of one responsible where we can send all the invitation letters. Please, be very clear, we don't understand Cyrillic (yet) nor any other alphabet, so write down everything in latin characters.

      - this is the procedure we are following to every request for invitation letters:
1) sending a scanned copy (with stamp and signature) to you by email
2) sending a copy by fax to the Spanish Embassy in Kyïv, Ankara, Moskva, etc. IMPORTANT: if there is no Spanish Embassy in your country, inform us which is the correct EU Embassy that takes care of your visas for Spain  (such as the German Embassy in Georgia!)
3) sending an original copy (with stamp and signature) by postal mail.

Please, give us the name (and contact info) of a responsible among your group where we can address all the invitation letters. This will save us costs and we will be able to deliver invitation letters faster.

If the procedure we must follow is different in your country, let us know it! Be clear and keep it short and simple.

4) Invitation letters are going to be the same for everybody. They are written in English and stating the official dates for the AGORA (27th April - 1st May 2011) and "kindly asking" to give you few more days before and after to be able to reach our beautiful and sunny city of Alicante.
This has been discussed among us, and evaluating the pros&cons, that's our final decision. If anybody has any problem, please ask the Embassies to get in touch with us, we will be glad to support your assistance to the event.

Deadline for Visa-participants is 12th april, but the sooner, the better.

Reminder: If you haven't done yet... GET IN CONTACT WITH US, we are not going to hand you in ANY invitation letter if you didn't send your info and confirm your assistance!!!

Once you have your visa, and your travel tickets, send us the copy of the tickets to confirm your application.

PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE IN THE WAITING LIST

      - Please, be patient. Until 25th March (deadline for non-visa participants) we will not know if there would be any free place, so filling up our inbox is not helpful at all.

PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY CONFIRMED

We are waiting for you! Thanks for your fast confirmation!

PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYBODY!

Warm greetings from Alicante,

The Incoming Team!

Know Alicante: MARQ

Alicante has one of its most important touristic attractions in Archeology. To the -let's say aboriginal- population of Iberians (who left in the area the very beautiful and even more mysterious sculpture of the "Dama de Elche", on the right), you can add the contribution of Phoenicians, Greek, Carthaginian, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs, who all came and found the Alicante area quite pleasant to live at :) The combination of temperate weather, fertile soils, a natural harbour and the famous mediterranean light attracted everybody to Alicante.Now, it's the Spring Agora Alicante 2011 who repeats History and bring people from all Europe to our city.

There are very interesting archeaological sites in the region. Some of them can be visited, and they stand for one of the best options for an outdoor activity. But when you don't have that much time, or when the weather is rainy as it may be the case in April ("Ne'er cast a clout till May be out", as my grandma would say if she was from Stoke-on-Trent), you can still enjoy history and latest technologies in the Archaeological Museum of Alicante, also known as MARQ.

It is a modern museum, recognised with the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004, which reunites all we know about the past of the region of Alicante and presents it with a mix of old and new technologies. Moreover, it has a tradition of hosting exhibitions coming from all the world, and in the past years we have enjoyed the presence of the famous Discobolus, and some egyptian mummies. This year, ceebrating the year of cooperation Spain-Russia, our guest is the Hermitage Museum of Санкт-Петербург (Saint Petersburg). It is a pity that the artist who did the advertising panel did not make the effort of learning Cyrillic alphabet...

                        Posted by Miguel

Participants are here!!!

Finally, the last missing pieces are starting to be revealed...
The participants of our dear Agora!

Check the list of accepted participants: click!

Because we have been working hard the last months to give AEGEE members the opportunity to work hard during the Agora days... with nothing more to care about than Europe, Youth, Democracy, projects, and ideas.

Leave a message of what you expect to find in Agora Alicante...
Hint: amazing plennaries, compromised candidates, intense discussions...

Amistad means friendship in Spanish

There is magic in the air when you are in an Agora or EBM: the so-called AEGEE Spirit.

You don't know how it started, maybe you don't even remember all the names, you may not remember what did you speak about, but the truth is, in a statutory event you can make friends as easy as breathing is.

When you go for the first time to an Agora, with around 800 people, it's almost impossible to know more than 10 people (the ones from your local, and maybe some friends from a SU...). But from the very first moment you'll start meeting people. Non stop. And it doesn't matter if you don't remember all of them, somehow they will remember you and will add you in facebook... (the quantity of friends in FB raise amazingly right after these kind of events).

This is the first step of the relationship.... later on you'll keep in touch with short messages in the wall, maybe you'll see some emails from him/her and you'll reply them, and from that point, don't know how, you are friends forever... You'll start checking for them in the list of accepted members of next Agora, or plan to join an event together.

Call it coincidence, call it magic, call it friend's need, call it AEGEE Spirit... but in the next meeting you'll find yourself hugging this person as you never hugged someone before, keeping a place in the gym for him/her, wishing to speak for hours again with him/her...

It's an honor that Alicante will be known as the place where strong friendships started with a "Hi, I'm from AEGEE-XXXX, what's your name?"

Posted by Juanola

Testing: Social media integration

Hello Agora Fans!

One of the best things of AEGEE is that you have great opportunities for learn-by-doing. Nowadays I am playing a lot with this blog, it is my favourite toy! So I try to improve it, make it nicer, more complete, more interactive. Thanks to this self-initiative, and being lucky I have some free time due to my lack of sleep, I have learned how to use Twitter (follow us with the tag #AgoraAlicante and account @AEGEEAlicante), developped a lot my blogging skills, learned about the badges (Thanks Guille!) and enjoyed many moments of Eureka!

So now I am learning how to include in my posts one widget - oh, I forgot to mention how many new words I have learned :) - that should enable a connection between the posts and FB, so comments will be easier to be made and once written in the blog will appear on facebook profiles.

So,let's give it a try... Help me checking if it works, by leaving a nice comment!

    Posted by Miguel Gallardo

The Trap II: Work in Progress

Dear Agora followers

We are sorry to announce there will be no proper post today. We are spending the weekend at The Trap II, working hard to make your agora better and having a very good time ;)

Tomorrow we'll be back!

The A-team

I read "Agora Alicante: Open call for organizers and helpers"

That was the subject of the email sent to La nave (The starcraft - the mailing list for the Portuguese and Spanish antennae)…

Our antennae have been always notable for the close relationship we have. From Coruña to Alicante, from Porto to Las Palmas, from Granada to Barcelona… Everytime we have one event, doesn’t matter where are you from, you just go and help if needed (at the same time you are having fun of course…)

So when I read this email I didn’t hesitate for a second, I just replied that I wanted to help them as much as I could. And to be honest, I was kinda busy with other AEGEE stuff… but c’mon! It’s an Agora! How many opportunities like this do you have?

I knew few people from AEGEE Alicante and I was afraid they were not enough to organize an Agora…. Furthermore, most of them were new members (to the point they didn’t even know what is a “delegate” or an “envoy”)

But my opinion changed a lot when I went to “La encerrona - The Trap”. I met most of them for the first time and it was awesome….

You can’t imagine how excited they are to organize next Agora. Even if they don’t have the experience, even if they are newbies in AEGEE, even if most of them study hard or work… they give the best of themselves to organize an Agora for people they don’t even know… for an organization they’ve just joined and yet can’t understand really good…

Although, the best of it, was the group spirit I felt over there… In one day I felt like a team member, like if I’ve alwaysbeen a member of AEGEE Alicante. That’s why I have the feeling this Agora it’s gonna be outstanding! Because whatever happen, there is a marvellous group of people working for it!

Believe me ;)

PS: yes, we also worked hard during The Trap weekend... but those pictures of us working are boring, and with these ones you can touch the Team Spirit...

                                            Post by Juanola

Meet the Team: Bego

It is my pleasure to introduce to you someone that has been part of the last years of AEGEE-Alicante history, and my partner in many adventures in our antenna and European level... Lovely Bego!

We travelled together to our first Agora (with her huge green luggage :D ) and we learned step by step what a prytanium is, how to vote, who was all those people on the stage... Thanks to Saioa for her continuous support, and to the rest of oldies that were there to answer all our questions! That was Agora Napoli... Later they came shared experiences at Eskisehir, Ljubljana, Istanbul...

When I was president she was my saviour in many situations; I tried to be the same when it was her time in the presidency. In those two terms, we settled the ground for the future growth of AEGEE-Alicante that finally allowed our antenna to accept the challenge of this project of Spring Agora Alicante 2011. We started with a Youth in Action Exchange, where we learned a huge lot! (BTW, as in every AEGEE-Alicante event, it rained. A lot. So don't bring swimsuits to Agora Alicante, but be ready to take shelter in the plennary room and enjoy contentful sessions). After, it came a NWM in Moraira, and the retake of the yearly SU with a TSU with Valencia and Castelló...

In European level, she helped to develop the Flagship Project Sustaining our Future, although later she could not contribute as much as she would have liked to. She had to step a bit off AEGEE for a couple of years, due to studies and personal life, just to come back when she was needed to join Agora team and become the manager during 6 months; at the moment she is our vice-coordinator. 

She is married since last December 4th - and it is not a secret, she was the most beautiful bride ever! (you will meet her husband soon, he will have his own entry as they are both involved in the Agora).

PS: She is like Amelie but with a stronger character... and she cannot row in straight line :D

Live from Rue Nestor de Tiere

Dear Agora Followers.

This weekend there is Strategic Planning Meeting for Human Resources of AEGEE, and it is nice to see that, even if busy with Agora Alicante preparations, three people from the Agora Team were able to attend the meeting. Me (Miguel) and Guillermo are there because we belong to AEGEE-Academy Board; Carol, our main coordinator, could not join in Brussels but she has participated through web 2.0 in the redaction of the objectives. She is really good at HR management (she "manages" more than 30 different huma beings), as you may remember from last post she is really a fan for team work.



What I wanted to remark is that I am really happy to feel that everybody is looking forward the Agora Alicante, even if it puts quite some pressure on us... The only reason it is preventing the people to be more enthusiastic, is the proximity of another promising event as EBM Riga 2011 (you can see their latest video here). And I can easily understand it, because I am also waiting for EBM impatiently, I am ready to cross all Europe to participate on discussions. I just know that, once the lights at the last plennary in Riga have faded away, all the focus in AEGEE will be looking at us...

AEGEE-Alicante is more than ready!

Miguel

PS: Vice Chair got his new present, a ser of real badges... did you already get yours?

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

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!

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