2008
key to europe
In 2000 - 2002, new successful projects are born: Education for Democracy; Eureca, a contribution to the design of a new education programme for the enlarging European Union. New tools are introduced - the Main Fields of Action and the Strategy Plan, which respectively define the main focus of AEGEE’s activities, and the work and development of AEGEE-Europe as a whole over a four-year period. AEGEE decided to expand its activities beyond the traditional borders of Europe, introducing the Europe in the World year plan topic, organising the Caucasus Case Study Trip in August 2003 and the World Youth Summit on Globalisation at the European Parliament in Brussels. Significant network growth has continued into the first years of the new millennium. Our 240 local branches organised 135 conferences and seminars and 99 Summer Universities in 2004. Two focuses in particular became obvious: AEGEE successfully offered its 15 year old experience in bridging East and West in the environment of the EU enlargement in 2004, for instance within the framework of the Yearplan Project “EU and Europe”. The other focus regards conflict resolution in war-struck Balkan and initiatives to strengthen democracy and reconciliation in countries such as Ukraine and Cyprus. This was reflected by new projects which consisted of “Education for Democracy”. However, AEGEE members do not just talk about the problematic “Hotspots” – within the Yearplan project in 2005. Members of AEGEE were in the frontline during the demonstrations in Ukraine against the election fraud in December 2004, AEGEE took a firm stand for democracy as well as in the summer in Albania and keep on continuing its activities in this field. In 2005 the main focus of the AEGEE member is the 20th Anniversary of the Association. Series of conferences, celebrations are organised all around Europe, not to mention the biggest Gala event ever to be organised in Praha, in September 2005. Today, AEGEE has reached its largest network with the new locals in the Caucasus region.