This year AEGEE-Patra and AEGEE-Cagliari will organise the Spring Agora and Autumn Agora respectively. Why did they decide to take up this big task, and what makes the Agora in their city special? The AEGEEan spoke with Aris Konstantinopoulos (President of AEGEE-Patra and Incoming Responsible for the Spring Agora) and Damiano Deidda (President of AEGEE-Cagliari) to ask them these questions – and more!
AEGEE-Patra
The AEGEEan: This year your local will be organizing the Agora. Why did you decide to apply for this?
Aris: The last Agora took place in our region in autumn 2002 (Agora Athina), so we thought it was about time to bring the Agora back. It was Costas Deltouzos (currently Main Coordinator of Agora Patra) who suggested it to the board and we were all excited about the idea! We didn’t have to think for a long time before we sent the application.
The AEGEEan: Why will the Agora in your local be the best Agora we have experienced so far?
Aris: Agora (“ΑΓΟΡΑ”) is connected with participation and democracy, which had a great meaning in Ancient Greece. That’s one of the reasons we decided that the thematic part of our Agora will be around Youth Political Participation.
The fact that it takes place in Greece during spring when the weather is sunny and warm makes it the ideal place for the participants! All these make Patra the place to be, or as our motto says… “your place to choose”!
The AEGEEan: Do the locals in your region work together a lot (for example being in a National Youth Council together)? Do they support you with the organization of the Agora?
Aris: AEGEE is represented in the Greek National Youth Council by all Greek locals. Pretty often we cooperate with other locals, for example last July we had a TSU with AEGEE-Ioannina and last December we organised a Regional Training Course with AEGEE-Athina, AEGEE-Ioannina and AEGEE-Peiraias. Now for the matters of the Agora many members from all Greek locals are in the organizing team of Agora Patra and we are all working together for it!
The AEGEEan: How many of your own members went to Agora Zaragoza last year and did you go yourself too?
Aris: Unfortunately only four members made it to Zaragora in the end. It was an Agora that many of us wanted to go to, especially because it was the one before ours, but the tickets were really expensive and some of our members also had exams. Unfortunately I was one of those.
The AEGEEan: Besides the Agora, what other activities does your local organize?
Aris: In general every year we organize at least a Summer University and a Local Training Course (in the last two years we had a Regional Training Course instead). We also host a European Training event every couple of years (so far three European Schools and Training for Trainers) in collaboration with AEGEE-Academy. Furthermore we organize many local activities so that we can keep our members active and motivated.
The AEGEEan: What makes your local unique in the AEGEE-network?
Aris: The members of the local! I mean, the fact that despite being a rather small antenna our members are so energetic and willing to work that the huge task of organising an Agora was more of a challenge than a fear. That’s what makes us special.
The AEGEEan:What has been your favorite moment while being a member of your local?
Aris: The moment that I participated in my first Agora. It was something new for me and I was very excited! Although I think that if you will ask me after two months I will say that the best moment is organizing the Agora.
The AEGEEan: What place in Europe would you still like to travel to?
Aris: Every part of it… But firstly Spain. I’ve wanted to go to Spain for years and still haven’t made it there so it is one of my priorities!
AEGEE-Cagliari
The AEGEEan: This year your local will be organizing the Agora. Why did you decide to apply for this?
Damiano: Because we realized that it was the perfect time to dare! I think that the dream of every AEGEEan is to bring the Agora to his own city. We always talked about the possibility to organize the Agora in Cagliari but there was always hesitancy about hosting such a big event. This is not a challenge only for AEGEE-Cagliari, but also for our city, that runs to become the Capital of Culture 2019, and it is ready to breath a real international spirit for a couple of days.
The AEGEEan: Why will the Agora in your local be the best Agora we have experienced so far?
Damiano: Because we do all that it takes to make it possible! In the last months we grew a lot as a team and in our own personal skills. We organized several meetings and events to improve our members’ responsibility about what we’re doing, and we have created a motivated and very inspired team. Of course, our wonderful city will help us a lot: Cagliari is the pearl of the Mediterranean sea, with its landscapes, its lifestyle, its culture and history. I think that the feeling of travelling that our city will offer to all AEGEEans next October will help them to make this Agora unforgettable.
The AEGEEan: Do the locals in your region work together a lot (for example being in the National Youth Council together)? Do they support you with the organization of the Agora?
Damiano: Yes we do it. We are totally in love with our region! During our application we received a lot of partnership agreements from the Italian antennae. It was great to see all their support and feeling. We will have a lot of helpers from the Italian antennae, and we thank them for their enthusiasm… Their support is very important for us.
The AEGEEan: How many of your own members went to Agora Zaragoza last year and did you go yourself too?
Damiano: Six members went to Zaragora, I was there as delegate and it was great! Three of us were at our first Agora, and it was good because now they are board members, and Simone, in particular, now is the main organizer of Agora, so we can say that for us it has been very inspiring! 
The AEGEEan: Besides the Agora, what other activities does your local organize?
Damiano: Last week we organized our biggest and most important local event called “Formazione Lavoro ed Europa (Training, job and Europe”): a three-day conference about job market, education and opportunities in Europe (hosting sectorial experts, professionists, entrepreneurs, job trainers and around 300 students). During the year we organize seminars, training courses, English conversation courses, cineforums in original languages, trips out of town, informal meetings and our very popular “Delirium parties”.
The AEGEEan: What makes your local unique in the AEGEE-network?
Damiano: Our antenna has very important traditions, thanks to all old members, who taught to us to always work in a professional way and to do it with passion. Finally, we can show them what we learned and made them proud of us.
The AEGEEan: What has been your favorite moment while being a member of your local?
Damiano: I think that it’s a very difficult question for me. My local gave me too many emotional moments! I built very strong friendships, and shared success times with other members. But, I think that the best is yet to come in a couple of months.
The AEGEEan: What place in Europe would you still like to travel to?
Damiano: Too many places! But now I would like to visit Turkey and the Caucasus!
Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen