After the AIESEC Alumni International (AAI) meeting in Budapest in 2006,this declaration (MyAIESEC.net login required) was released by Bernd Thomas (PAI in 1958-59 and co-founder of AIESEC Alumni International).

The document recognises the achievements and the challenges in the alumni area over the past few years as well as making concrete proposals for moving forward. Jeanne Du Plessis (Global Networks Manager 2006-07 AIESEC International) and Edyson Dos Santos (PAI 2006-07) used this as the basis for discussion in a meeting held with Bernd Thomas and Jochen Wiegand (current president AAI) in February 2007.
The main points of the output from that meeting can be found in this document (MyAIESEC.net login required), but the summary is:

1. That we should co-create a global alumni policy with alumni to ensure consistency & continuity in this area
2. That we should put effort into collecting alumni data in order to have a comprehensive global database
3. General recommendations on alumni strategy (segmented approach to different generations, etc.)

It was decided to act on this by working on number 1 above - co-creating a global alumni policy/principles. This will mean that we have answers to questions such as:

• What is the relationship between AIESEC and alumni associations?
• What happens with the AIESEC trademark with regards to alumni associations?

It will also give structure to our approach to alumni relations as an organisation.

The creation of this alumni policy is one of the milestones on the Alumni road of the AIESEC 2010 Transformation Map.

Second Alumni Policy Meeting held in Rotterdam in 2007
After this meeting, AIESEC International hosted a meeting attended by a very representative group of alumni and alumni associations to work on an alumni policy. The output of that meeting was made available to alumni and AIESEC members for feedback and input at and after IC 2007.

Feedback and Steering Team work
The feedback from alumni and members was collected by AIESEC International, and served as input to the Steering Team meeting in December 2007.
The Steering Team realised that (also based on the feedback from alumni) we should not aim for a restrictive policy, but rather guiding principles for the work with alumni associations. Ideally these principles would give standardised input into the kind of relationship AIESEC globally wants to foster with the different and manifold alumni associations.

IPM 2008
The output from the Steering Team was published and taken into consideration by a working group at IPM 2008. During the working group time and different conversations with alumni participating at IPM, it was decided to legislate the four key principles as an appendix to the compendium with the hope that every MC takes these principles as a basis to shape their work and communication with any alumni group/association operating in their country/territory.