World Red Cross Red Crescent Day: 8 May 2011

To mark this year's World Red Cross Red Crescent Day – 8 May 2011 – the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is calling for greater recognition of the sizable contribution volunteers make in a world increasingly confronted by challenges linked to such adversities as natural disasters, disease, war and other armed violence, poverty, hunger and climate change. Read more.

Volunteering: a tool for inclusion? Magazine of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN). Special issue on the 2011 European Year of Volunteering, March 2011. NO. 134 | 2011/I

Contents:

* 2011 European Year on Volunteering – A space for anti-poverty organizations to engage

* Volunteering and the Fight against Poverty and Social Exclusion – towards an EAPN Position

* Portugal: Being a volunteer versus promoting volunteering

* The UK Government: Big Society and Volunteering

* Volunteering in Bulgaria – the Need for a Modern Vision

* Poland, willing to move on towards a strategic approach on volunteering

* The recognition of volunteering time as in-kind contribution in Structural Funds

* The 100 million Europeans volunteering deserve recognition

* Eurodiaconia: the multifaceted value of volunteering

20th Volonteurope Conference & ACE Awards 2011

The 20th Volonteurope Conference was held in Edinburgh (20-23 October 2011) delivered in partnership with CSV in Scotland and supported by the European Commission's 'Europe for Citizens' Programme.

The Conference in Edinburgh, delivered in the framework of the European Year of Volunteering 2011, also celebrated the 5th Active Citizens of Europe (ACE) Awards. On Friday 21 October 2011, at Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk in Edinburgh, we recognised outstanding indvidual volunteers and volunteering NGOs, as well as corporate companies with effective CSR and volunteering programmes. We are grateful to the Lloyds Banking Group who supported this year's Awards Ceremony. The winners of the 2011 ACE Awards were:

NGOs:

• Scottish European Educational Trust (Scotland)

• Sue Ryder (for work in Scotland through the Prison Volunteer Programme)

• Serve the City (Europe-wide)

Volunteers:

• Redhall Walled Garden Trainees (Scotland)

• Saronikos Young Volunteers in Action (Greece)

Corporate Organisations:

• Fundação INATEL - 'Conversa Amiga' Programme (Portugal)

The award winners were presented their awards by the judges John Macdonald (EC), Gabriella Civico (EYV 2011 Alliance), Matthew McGhee (CSV Youth Board Member) and Francis Lake (Lloyds Banking Group). Full details here.

On 30 November 2010 EUCIS-LLL co-organised a public hearing on "Recognising the role of volunteers and volunteering for social cohesion and active citizenship" with the European Civic Forum and Volonteurope in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. An interesting debate took place on the recognition of volunteers and volunteering in the context of formal, non-formal and informal learning for social inclusion and active citizenship and the role of civil society organisations as the main supporters of volunteers

Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe P.A.V.E

 

The objectives of the EYV 2011 Alliance included the development of the Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E). The work took place larg

ely in the framework of 6 working groups who met 5 times during 2011. The Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E.) was approved at the EYV 2011 Alliance Steering Group meeting in November 2011 and the Alliance members presented P.A.V.E to the European Commission at the 4th EYV 2011 Thematic Conference on 1st December 2011 in Warsaw. Download P.A.V.E. here.

The EYV 2011 Alliance Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E) provides recommendations for a more efficient and effective European policy framework to support and promote volunteers, volunteering, volunteer-involving organisations and their partners. The recommendations include proposals for action echoing the aspects of volunteering policy already identified as needing attention in both the 2009 European Council Decision on EYV 20111 and the EC Communication on Volunteering 20112. The P.A.V.E. recommendations promote and support volunteering as a demonstration of European values, providing a vehicle for active citizenship and contributing to economic and social-capital growth.

 

Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe P.A.V.E

The objectives of the EYV 2011 Alliance included the development of the Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E). The work took place largely in the framework of 6 working groups who met 5 times during 2011. The Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E.) was approved at the EYV 2011 Alliance Steering Group meeting in November 2011 and the Alliance members presented P.A.V.E to the European Commission at the 4th EYV 2011 Thematic Conference on 1st December 2011 in Warsaw. Download P.A.V.E.

The EYV 2011 Alliance Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E) provides recommendations for a more efficient and effective European policy framework to support and promote volunteers, volunteering, volunteer-involving organisations and their partners. The recommendations include proposals for action echoing the aspects of volunteering policy already identified as needing attention in both the 2009 European Council Decision on EYV 20111 and the EC Communication on Volunteering 20112. The P.A.V.E. recommendations promote and support volunteering as a demonstration of European values, providing a vehicle for active citizenship and contributing to economic and social-capital growth.

The EYV 2011 Alliance P.A.V.E communication toolkit was designed to help you to communicate effectively the recommendations of P.A.V.E. Download the toolkit here.

French Red Cross : Mobilising Local Branches for the European Year of Volunteering

Throughout the year 2011, French Red Cross invited its local branches to participate in actions to celebrate the European Year of Volunteering. Between the 5th November and 5th December local Red Cross organizations worked together on promoting the visibility and recognition of volunteering and volunteers. The broad public was invited to say "Bravo" and "Merci!" to the 52 000 French Red Cross volunteers for their humanitarian engagement via a facebook-based campaign. Volunteers were also invited to serve as ambassadors for volunteering with the task to promote volunteering and to help recruiting new volunteers. Finally, local groups were given advice how to develop further volunteering and voluntary service i.e. by paying attention to the beneficiaries of voluntary work, to informing and training of volunteers, visibility and accessibility of services.

 

Find attached a selection of documents and flyers presenting the campaigns to local Red Cross branches.

Swedish Red Cross: Pearl of the year

We started a cooperation with a weekly paper on the theme "The pearl of the year" – a person with big compassion. About 140 persons was nominated and 60% of them were volunteers within the Red Cross. A jury (persons from the Red Cross and the Weekly paper) picked out 10 finalists and everyone that wished to vote could do that on our and the weekly papers homepage. The Pearl of the year was revealed on an event trip by boat. All the finalists and the persons that had nominated them was invited for free to participate on the trip. There were also entertainment and lectures on the trip. You can look at and read about the winner on our homepage:

http://www.redcross.se/bli-frivillig/arets-parla/

Belgian Red Cross movie “sans vous comment ferions nous”

This movie has been realized to say thank you to our volunteers. The speakers are beneficiaries and a mayor. It has been very appreciated during our special day for volunteers in September and it has also been projected during the annual King's ceremony (fête du roi).

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jInm8nwEFjw&list=UUMLa4vwgfEou4L2hsbbLGRA&index=1&feature=plcp

Cooperation meeting on the Charter

PAVE Follow up

14 december 2011

On November 17th the Alliance Steering Group adopted the Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe (PAVE). On December 2nd the Alliance Working Group Co-chairs handed the PAVE over to the Commission.

Therefore the European Youth Forum invited CSO partners in order to discuss cooperation on the follow up of elements of the PAVE recommendations in the context of creating an enabling environment for volunteers to a Cooperation meeting on December 14th between 13:00 – 17:00.

In this context the participants discussed their cooperation on the "European Charter on the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers" as outlined in the PAVE recommendations. The debate focused on planning and structuring the pan European consultation process across European Networks in order to truly reach out to volunteers on the grass root level when following up on PAVE and opening the existing draft European Charter on the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers to the critical input of Alliance members, based on their expertise.

The European Charter of the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers creates a common understanding of the definition of volunteers, volunteering activities and volunteering providers from the local to the European level and provides a common set of basic rights for volunteers and volunteering providers. Further the Charter serves as an appeal for designing and updating policies related to volunteering on all levels, refraining from addressing concrete implementation mechanisms or identifying right bearers, but focusing on defining and stating the rights and responsibilities of volunteers.

The attached document provides all readers with a clear overview on the proposed follow up of the PAVE through building on past achievements and cooperations and allows everyone to join the development of a "European Charter on the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers".