AEGEE-Podgorica is not very big, but with only a couple dozen members, this local in Montenegro has accomplished some amazing feats. Most recently they have organised a Summer University (SU) with AEGEE-Beograd and AEGEE-Kragujevac, even though none of the organisers of AEGEE-Podgorica have ever organised a SU before or even been on one. To accomplish something like that with a relatively small group, is worthy of praise, and that’s why they are this Summer’s Local of the Month. Here is our interview with Blažo Živković, Treasurer of AEGEE-Podgorica.
The AEGEEan: Could you tell us something about the people of AEGEE-Podgorica?
Blažo: We are very proud of our antenna, because we have students from all the faculties at the University of Montenegro. We have law students, economy students, political sciences, electric engineering students etc. We have six board members, which include one committee. That might be too much but we don’t have any problems in functioning. Everybody knows their responsibilities and there is no overlapping. We have thirty-ish members but ten-ish active. Since the academic year has just started we are in the process of gaining new members and we hope to reach the number of 50.
You organised your first SU this year (with AEGEE-Beograd and AEGEE-Kragujevac). Why did you want to organise an SU and why now?
We wanted to prove ourselves to us and to others and to put our antenna on the map. We wanted to gain some experience and educate our SU organisers, and, since we have the momentum, we thought it was the right time.
How did the process of setting up this SU go?
Since none of us had any experience – not even as participants in an SU- it was really hard, but our friends from Belgrade and Kragujevac helped us a lot. We were lost at some point and it felt like looking for the sun with the candle but eventually everything turned out pretty good. We had Skype meetings every two weeks for five months. Even in Podgorica our friends from Kragujevac helped us a lot.
You said that none of the organisers of your SU have ever been on a SU before. How was it for them to supervise Aegee-Podgorica’s part of the event?
That’s right! It was extremely hard and very exhausting, but we managed to succeed. We got very valuable experience from this, that we will always remember.
Aside from your SU, what are the most significant activities that you have organised this year?
In cooperation with ADP Zid, we organised a project named: LET’S DO IT MONTENEGRO. This project was about the environment.
Could you tell us something about AEGEE-Podgorica’s future events?
We discussed some ideas for projects that we can do for our own members, as well as some exchanges and a Network Meeting in the next semester.
Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen