AUREA End of Year Reflections (Part 2)
Written by the AUREA team Word count: 800 words Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
As is tradition for many, we’re starting off the new year with some reflection. It can be somewhat of a shock to us at times that we’re still going strong after all these years. It was the end of 2019 when I had our core team reflect on the first 6 months of AUREA. I wanted our readers to know what the people behind the org were like. We’d all worked together on creating this organization and there was no way we’d all had the same experience. A reflective piece would showcase what we valued most.
Now, in 2022, our team looks a little different. Some from the beginning remain and some have moved on. When it comes to this team, we treasure what we had as a group and we wait with excitement for those who will arrive. The following reflective pieces you’re about to read have been written by three of our newest team members. I can say with complete gratitude that each of them have brought a refreshing and revitalizing air to our work. Their care has a priceless influence on the shape AUREA every time they bring an idea to the table.
— Darcy, Editor-in-Chief
UnYoung - Volunteer Onboarder
I originally got involved with AUREA as a census analyst and became a part of the core team a couple of months ago as I was drawn by AUREA's work, more international nature, and smaller team, which made it feel more approachable. While I'm deeply invested in aromanticism-related activism in and of itself, being part of a nice team makes it all the more worthwhile, so I'm really happy to have found this with AUREA. These past months have been a rewarding, meaningful, and positively challenging experience, and I admire and appreciate the energy and different qualities that everyone brings to the table.
As the volunteer onboarder, I also get to interact with those who want to volunteer with us, and it’s inspiring that so many want to lend us their time and efforts. Much gratitude to the team members and volunteers for their passion and hard work! I'm also thankful to have joined a team of individuals who are willing to do the work to make AUREA a more inclusive and anti-oppressive organization. While we have more growing to do, I’m hopeful about AUREA’s future and in our efforts to better advocate for and represent the diverse aromantic communities. It's exciting to see the seeds of collaborations with international and diverse aromantic or aspec groups being sown, and I hope to see these partnerships flourish in the near future. I'm also looking forward to the next iteration of the census and how we can improve upon the last version!
Nimat- Census Coordinator/Research Reviewer
While searching for data on aromanticism, I have been struck by the dearth of information available. However, the Aro Census 2020 Report and the Aro Census 2020 Companion Report had so much useful and interesting information which I was very glad to learn about. That got me wondering whether I could join and help the AUREA Census team. As I looked through AUREA’s Volunteer Opportunities page, I saw a clear statement of interest in adding members that would increase the diversity of the central team and that AUREA was actively implementing an anti-oppression framework. This all resonated with me and I decided to apply. I ended up being invited to join the central and census teams and am very excited for the work ahead in 2022, including the upcoming new census. I also want to contribute to greater inclusivity and diversity for AUREA as it is very important for aromantic spaces to become more inviting for BIPOC and other underrepresented voices.
Faagun - Volunteer coordinator
A few months back, I joined AUREA as the Volunteer coordinator, with mainly the aim to know more and get a better understanding of the Aro community. Not having had any prior interaction or experience with anyone within this space, I was not sure how things would pan out and it happened to be a complete leap of faith, and a hope to make the best out of this involvement. I got to take up a role that I know excites me and in turn, had a chance to interact with an amazing bunch of people. The one thing that stood out for me, especially within the core team in AUREA, was the sensitivity and mindfulness each and everyone in the team had towards each other, and the community at large. Being able to have a practical outlook towards how things are and constantly making an effort to accommodate everyone and ensure everyone is able to experience a safe space happens to be the core driver of every project that is taken up, which makes working with this team even more exciting and am really looking forward to see how this year turns out.