Culture Working Group

Basic information

Established in: 1997

Main aims and tasks:

• Showing that everyone is surrounded by culture
• Allowing people to learn about each other, about their common and different cultural values
• Creating a space where people can give “culture” their own interpretation and meaning, a space where they can exchange their knowledge, build up projects and learn about culture in a new way
• Raising awareness of cultural differences and similarities

History:

During a congress in Enschede on strengthening the ‘thematical backbone’ of AEGEE (the Working Groups), the idea of a Working Group focused on culture came up. The reason for having a thematical Working Group that deals with culture is that the Working Groups themselves are international teams of people with different cultural backgrounds. Trying to specify and identify these different European cultures, the Culture Working Group (CWG) became reality at the Spring Agora 1997, in Enschede, when its first President signed the Convention d’Adhésion. The first board members were Rianne Brouwers (President), Aleksandra Mocek (Vice-president), Meike Van der Poel (Secretary), Vivianna Chadia (Treasurer), Marjeke Kijer (PR), Stefanie Goumans (Local CWG Responsible).

The CWG is a platform which allows all of us to see the fact that we are surrounded by culture: music, theater, cinema, and all kinds of art and history. It is also a space where we can give “culture” our own interpretation and meaning. A space where we can exchange our knowledge, build up projects, learn about culture through dynamic and enjoyable activities. We share our ideas, thoughts, opinions and experiences concerning culture, cultural projects, cultural events. Members of the CWG promote the different meanings of this word, “culture”, through many different ways. This Working Group allows us to learn about each other, about our common and different cultural values, Cultural Exchange being one of the four pillars AEGEE was built on.

Having had members from different countries and backgrounds and with different interests, the CWG has managed to set up projects of various types, some of them already finished, some of them still running, and some still in the phase of being defined. We are talking about compilations (“Melting the Iceberg”, “Forget-Me-Not Memory Books”), events (“So Close, So Different”), competitions (“AEGEE Capital of Culture”), trainings (workshops during local and statutory events), and an Intercultural Communication Training Course, which is in the planning stage. The CWG also collaborates with Summer University organisers and the individual AEGEE antennae who request help with adding a cultural touch to their events. The CWG has always had a constant presence at AEGEE Fairs, during statutory events, where the approach is to offer both information and entertainment to the visitors.

Activities:

• Intercultural communication training
• Online discussions
• Putting together compilations (“Melting the Iceberg”, “Forget-Me-Not Memory Books”)
• Promoting culture among AEGEE members, as the best way to have new and better AEGEE experiences and to open our minds, avoiding prejudices and stereotypes
• Challenging AEGEE members to discover the meaning of the word “culture”
• Demonstrating that culture is closer than it appears and can be found in the way people behave, think, dress, etc