ESN AGM Utrecht, pre AGM CNR and post AGM CNR report

Annual General Meeting,Council of National Representatives meetingsMarch 23

– April 1

2009Utrecht, the NetherlandsBy Madara ApsaloneThe National Representative of Latvialatvia@esn.org,madara@esn.lv

Executive Summary

2009 is the year, when ESN celebrates its 20

anniversary. AGM 2009 took place in Utrecht – city,where the very first ESN section was founded back in 1989. Since then ESN has grown firstly as aninternational platform, then developed as organization, having full time board working in Brusselsand hundreds of sections from Norway to Morocco. Now ESN has a participatory status in the Councilof Europe and in near future will become a full member of the European Youth Forum. Tens ofthousands of international students participate in our activities and projects on annual basis. ThisAGM we revised our vision, mission and values. We understood that we have outgrown our originalwork to help exchange students and out new vision tells about an enrichment of society. This AGMwas also time for us do mistakes, hopefully learn from them and continue working with the sametrust in each other and passion to make mobility reality and exchange the life experience for moreand more people all over Europe.In some words:ESN has a new vision and missionChanges in the International BoardHappy Birthday! ESNPRIME enters its second stageESNSurvey 2009 - Provision of Information forexchange – coming soonESNTrain unfortunately cancelledBrand new Satellite to be releasedThe first ever informal Nordic – Baltic meetingin ESN… and as always some new stuff in ourstatutesMy biggest thanks to all of my and ESN Riga supporters, but especially to the Academic ProgrammeAgency and my wonderful ESN Riga team!Enjoy the reading,Madara

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the highest decision making body of ESN. Each Marchrepresentatives from entire network meet to elect the new board, change statutes, approve budget,choose organizers of the future events .. see their old friends again, share ESN spirit, work hard andparty harder and in all other matters finish one and start another ESN year.In AGM each section has one vote and each national representative has one vote (but Council ofNational Representatives (CNR) votes just for the new board). This year we were 2 delegates fromLatvia – I as the national representative and Santa Jastrebova as the section delegate for ESN Riga.We did our best to use our experience in ESN to promote Latvia and take care of ESN International.I was in Utrecht already before AGM – council of national representatives spent 4 days preparing thelast documents, doing the last changes in agenda and trying to get a common opinion in the mostcomplicated issues.Next ESN International meeting will be CNR meeting in Porto from 7

till 11

May.

Network

This AGM was quite historic as we crossed 300 section line and currently we are 301 section in 33countries and two candidate sections – ESN Siauliai in Lithuania and ESN Triana in Albania. Bothsections will hopefully be accepted as full members in CNR Porto, raising the number of ESNcountries to 34. I am appointed to do study visit in Siauliai and my impression of them so far is verypromising. I’m looking forward to make Baltic States stronger in ESN network.Moreover quite unique meeting for the first time took place in AGM and that was Nordic – Balticblock meeting. All other countries had their national platforms in that time, but we decided to gofor a united support to the Nordic candidates to International Board (both were elected) andcollective discussion of ESN issues from our regional perspective. Much thanks Sweden for the largecontribution so this meeting could happen and I am personally very interested to keep this as atradition also for the next AGMs.

Future of ESN

During the AGM, ESN members decided on the future and the path ESN will follow over the nextyears.The new vision of ESN is: “Enrichment of society through international students”Consequently, ESN highlights the importance of student mobility as a crucial factor to make Europeand the world a place of more understanding, tolerant and integrated societies.The new mission states: “ESN is the key volunteer student organization in international highereducation in Europe. We provide opportunities for self-development and cultural understanding,under the principle of Students Helping Students.”This means, ESN as a true student organization continues taking responsibility for all internationalstudents, as well as taking an active lead in fostering cultural awareness and active citizenship..

Values

unity in diversity, diversity in the unity

We all have different backgrounds, but share one common aim and goal.

students helping students

We passionately commit ourselves to volunteering for the benefits of others.

fun in friendship and respect

We enjoy relations based on respect.

international dimension of the life

We are open-minded, mobile, like to discover and explore, to co-operate and to interact tobreak borders.

love for Europe as an area of peace and cultural exchange

We live and benefit from the cultural richness of Europe to the utmost.

openness with tolerance

We understand and accept others and learn from them.

cooperation in the integration

We share an holistic view towards internationality.

ESN International Board

Quite some changes affected also the international board.Firstly, as in each AGM, a new international board was elected.Marketa Tokova (Czech Republic) – PresidentVeeli Oeselg (Estonia) – Vice PresidentTroels Christensen Frost (Denmark) – TreasurerMarc Janson (The Netherlands) – Web Project AdministratorTajana Nikolic (Croatia / Italy) – External RelationsMarketa is our current vice-president, Veeli president of ESN Tartu and organizer of NEP 2008,Troels has been financial auditor in AGM Besancon and also followed ESN finances all year as amember of the financial commission, Marc was part of the AGM Utrecht 2009 organizing committeeand Tajana is a very experienced ESN member from Italy, Croatia and Slovenia, she has organizedmany national level events and her excellent skills in both communications and statistics willdefinitely be of a very high value for ESN.Board is very experienced and I’m looking forward to see them working as a team to lead, inspireand facilitate ESN.According to newly made changes in statutes, the board will be in charge from July 15

. This wasdone to ensure a better transition period and change board in summer – a bit less active time forESN, also allowing the prospective board members to finish their studies and then give all their timeto ESN.