East-West Working Group
AEGEE was founded in 1985 by students of the "Grandes Ecoles" in Paris and people from several other regions in Europe. They had a vision of Europe, the whole Europe, but they decided to start their initiative in the EC member states, for the European conscience is considered to be most developed in this area.In order to look further than just the EC, AEGEE established a Working Group, dealing with current relations between Eastern and Western Europe and their possible development. The EWWG was established on the 10th of April 1988 by the decision of CD after the EGEE IV in Milano. This implied in the first instance informing the students in the East about what we think Europe was and could become. Secondly to inform ourwelves about the situation in the East in order to be able to create concepts as to how European integration could improved as soon as political and social reality allow.
In November 1989, AEGEE decided to take concrete steps torward a real pan-European stage. Since then, AEGEE antennae were founded in EFTA memer states. Eastern Contact Groups have been established in Eastern Europe to ensure a constant exchange of ideas and cooperation, and to prepare future steps.
The EWWG changed its face after the fall of the Iron Curtain, when more and more enthusiastic AEGEE members from Western Europe were involved in the promotion of AEGEE in Central and Eastern Europe.
The EWWG was coordinating all the activities in Central and Eastern Europe and was helping to set up new contacts and new antennae in this part of Europe. It resulted in the rapidly growing number of new antennae through the region.
At the spring Agora 1993 in Praha it became clear that it was difficult to continue these activities as this work was done. Therefore we realized that the aims of the EWWG must be redefined and newly formulated. This has started in Praha. Of course, we faced (and still are facing) a lot of problems like the mobility and the information flow, etc.
The EWWG has selected three main areas where we can work on this concept: practical problems, 'ideological' work and so-called case studies. These areas are closely linked with the name of the EWWG, because the work is mostly concentrated on the cooperation between Eastern and Western antennae. The EWWG can serve as the platform for the discussions about such topics like the development of democries in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, EU enlargement and so on.
Of course, we are all the time open and will always warmly welcome new projects and ideas to be developed on the ground of the EWWG.
The EWWG is working on the European level, there are some local EWWGs (for example in Enschede). Unfortunately, almost every meeting of European EWWG is attended by new people, so it's extremely difficult to organize something or agree on something.
Since e-mail is used by more and more people, thecommunication improved.
The main project of the EWWG on time is the Case Study Trip (CST).
The aim of this project is to deal with the situation and problems of certain areas, especailly the problems of young people.
The CST Albania in 1994 was the first CST that took place. Conducted with the support of the task force Albania of the Council of Europe, this event was a bis success.
In 1995 the EWWG concentrated on problems and today's situation in Ukraine specially from the young people (mostly students) point of view.
This year there will be a CST to the regions of former Yugoslavia that will be organized as a cooperation between the HRWG and the EWWG.
Everybody who has some ideas is welcome to help the EWWG, to enrich its activities.
Meetings of the EWWG:
At the PM in Eindhoven (01.-03.03.1996)
At the Agora in Valladolid (19.-21.04.1996)
At the congress Rebirth of a continent in Passau (16.-19.05.1996)