On the weekend from the 7th to the 10th of May the main event of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of AEGEE was held in Brussels. During three days, 70 members of the association gathered to celebrate various events. It all began on Thursday, when they were guided by members of the local antenna, AEGEE-Bruxelles/Brussels, around the city center. The visit included a stop by the Grand Place and the Manneken Pis.
On Friday morning the most formal part of the event took place, visiting the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and having talks with representatives of other European institutions and organisations, including the European Youth Forum, Euractiv, the Association of Friends of Franck Biancheri or OBESSU (Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions) among others, and with the participation of MEPs. Proposals were discussed and voted in the areas of European integration, democratic innovation and non-formal education and mobility. The document prepared serves as a guide for future actions of AEGEE. In the afternoon there was a visit to the Parlamentarium (the visitors’ centre of the European Parliament), and to the Museum of the European Union next to the European Parliament.
Saturday and Sunday sessions were held at the Cervantes Institute in Brussels. This time they were more oriented to reflect on the history of AEGEE, its identity, its achievements, its present and its future challenges. Amongst the participants were also members of the Comité Directeur (CD) of AEGEE-Europe, and also members of Les Anciens, the Alumni network of AEGEE, with whom interesting experiences were exchanged. Other topics discussed were the concept of an European Republic, a better link with Les Anciens or multilingualism, which is set as a priority by the European Commission for the upcoming years. French was recently abolished as operational language of the association mainly for practical reasons, but that does not mean that there will have to be a step back in the field of multilingualism.
In the evening hours the participants, members of locals from Lisbon to Baku, could taste typical Belgian fries, its chocolate or waffles, and participate in typical Brussels celebrations and fairs. It is to be noticed that Saturday 9th was the EU Day, with a lot of events all around the city. On Sunday afternoon many participants could discover that Brussels, the “heart” of Europe, is a city of an international atmosphere, institutions, lobbying and networking.
In short, a dignified celebration for an association with European values and ancient past, exciting present and promising future.
Written by Ferran Arruebo, AEGEE-Barcelona