Watch the video of the CEV News July 2017 highlights here.
In 2013 European Year of Citizens, CEV launched the European Volunteering Capital competition to promote and develop volunteering at the local level. The first winner of the competition to be awarded the title European Volunteering Capital in 2014 was Barcelona, followed by Lisbon European Volunteering Capital 2015, London European Volunteering Capital 2016, Sligo European Volunteering Capital 2017 and Aarhus European Volunteering Capital 2018. On 3 July the CEV issued a press release announcing the candidates for the European Volunteering Capital Competition 2019. They are Augsburg, Cascais and Kosice. To read the full press release click here.
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CEV Activities:
On the 3 and 4 July the CEV’s board meeting took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Plans for the upcoming CEV volunteering Congress in Vienna were discussed, in particular the CEV@25 anniversary celebrations. Future work programmes and activities for 2018 and beyond were also developed.
On 4 October, CEV will celebrate its 25 year anniversary as part of the Autumn Volunteering Congress in 
Vienna Austria. As part of the CEV@25 programme, memories, testimonies and messages will be shared emphasising the impact and legacy of CEV at the European, National and Local level. Special guests will be invited and a strategic discussion on the CEV development towards the next 25 years will follow. We look forward to the occasion!
On 4, 5, 6 of October 2017, with the support of the Europe for Citizens programme, the CEV Autumn Volunteering Congress will take place in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection in Vienna, Austria. To register and see the programme click here.
The Volcar Project, which was developed in coordination with the partners Udruga Bonsai and the Edos Foundation as part of Erasmus +, had its final meeting on the 13 and 14 of June, in Dubrovnik. The main objective of the project was to deliver guidance to volunteers who want to increase their employability by getting their learning outcomes from volunteering validated and recognised according to the EQF. A Volunteer Career Guide, Online training and face-to-face training were developed as final products. These will be available on the CEV webpage soon.
CEV has recently started a new Erasmus + project - SCULT, that will last for 2 years (2017/2018) and consists of partners from Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania and Belgium and different sport stakeholders (universities, volunteering centres, sport clubs and sport event organisers) from all over Europe. It’s main aim is to engage young people and general public in volunteering in sports activities.
To read more about it click here.
On the 21 June CEV director Gabriella Civico and European Solidarity Corps member, Helena Gandra presented the European Solidarity Corps to the Portuguese Regional Press, in Brussels participating in an EC Study visit. In this occasion Helena emphasised the role of volunteering as a way to achieve more solidarity in Europe. To read the article from JPN click here. Also on the 29 June Helena has presented the ESC programme and the work of CEV to the German RTL journalistenschule as part of their study visit. To watch a short video click here .
From the 3-5 July CEV ESC Giulia Bordin and CEV Members took part in the European Voluntary Service Future Search Conference held in Tallinn, Estonia. The main aim of the conference was to discuss the future of EVS in connection with the European Solidarity Corps development.
150 people from all European countries attended the event, which was held by the Estonian National Agency from Erasmus + in cooperation with the Austrian, French and German National Agencies of Erasmus+ and the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. To read more click here.
DG HOME from the European Commission has released a newsletter about the Europe for Citizens Programme. Read here the article about CEV’s role in the European Solidarity Corps, made possible by funding from the Europe for Citizens Programme.
On June 19th CEV European Solidarity Corps Member Giulia Bordin participated in the discussion panel at the Volunteering in sport, education and skills developed through sport conference in Clermont Ferrand (France). The Project Volunteering in School Sport” (V2S), managed by the ISF with the support of the European Commission (Erasmus+ Sport programme), enables 24 young volunteers between ages 14 and 16, from 6 European countries, to become youth volunteer European leaders involved in school sport. The objective of this conference was to raise awareness among stakeholders of the educational and civic role of school sport, to enhance the commitment and responsibility of young volunteers in sport, to identify skills and competences acquired and to question their recognition by public and private actors. To read more about it click here.
On May 23rd and 24th May 2017 SDG Watch Europe organised two meetings in Brussels: a meeting of National Representatives/Partners and a plenary meeting. CEV ESC member Giulia Bordin took part in both events. To read more about it click here.
On the 7 June CEV European Solidarity Corps Giulia Bordin took part in the third Forum EU Members’ Meeting organised by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and FOCSIV in Rome. Giulia spoke about the new volunteering perspectives in the European Union. The event counted with speakers such as Silvia Costa, President of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament and Giovanni De Siervo, International Relations Officer of the Italian Civil Protection. During this session, the strengths and weaknesses of the new European Solidarity Corps were underlined. To read more click here.
On 16-17 March 2017 the project “EVS realm: Masters of the Learning Path” had its first project meeting. This project is funded by the Erasmus + Programme and is developed by the organisations Pro Vobis - National Resource Center for Volunteering from Romania, Politistiko Ergastiri Ayion Omoloyiton from Cyprus, Stowarzyszenie ANAWOJ from Poland and the CEV. The project aims to increase the quality of the EVS programmes through a better coordination between sending and hosting organisations, developing new guidelines and resources for EVS mentors and staff of organisations involved in the project. You can access the facebook page here and contribute to the survey that is open to all organisations and institutions here:
- For EVS mentors.
- For EVS volunteers.
- For Organisations.
On June 27th participants of the Europe for Citizens programme met representatives of DG HOME and EACEA to discuss the positive and negative aspects of the programme, the present situation connected with its implementation and mid-term evaluation, and the post-2020 approach to it.
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CEV Members:
The National Conference within the “Europe for Citizens” project "PREVENT - Optimizing Volunteer Services in Times of Refugee Crisis" was held in Belgrade, Serbia on 29 June 2017. Recommendations on how to improve volunteer work in times of refugee crisis were presented.. The project is based on experiences of volunteers who are helping refugees in several European countries. To read more click here. The final results will be presented in a workshop in Vienna on October 4th 2017.
On the 6 July, the Volunteering Municipality Award 2016 was presented by the Lisbon City Hall. In the same occasion the Confederacao Portuguesa do Voluntariado also presented the 2nd edition of the Volunteering + Programme which took place in Salao Nobre dos Pacos do Concelho, in Lisbon, Portugal. This was an event promoted by the Lisbon city hall (Camara Municipal de Lisboa) in collaboration with the Confederacao Portuguesa de Voluntariado. To read more about it click here.
European Volunteering Capital 2017 Sligo has issued a “Call out to track volunteer hours in County Sligo as part of EVC Sligo 2017”. This was made to highlight the impact volunteering contributes to our wellbeing and society by tracking as many volunteer hours as possible in the county. To read more about it click here.
CEV Member, BBE has issued a new working paper “PatInnen, MentorInnen, LotsInnen für Integration.” This paper provides an overview the roles of the paternal, mentor, and volunteer programs and projects for migrants and refugees. It focuses on the current issues of dissemination, areas of application and support needs, as well as the opportunities and limitations of the program and projects and highlights the conducive and hindering framework conditions. To read more click here.
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EU News:
The EESC Civil Society Days: The Europe we strive for! took place on the 26 and 27 June and counted with the presence of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission Federica Mogherini, EESC President George Dassis, EESC Liaison Group Co-Chair Conny Reuter and CEV Director Gabriella Civico as a moderator. The main focus of this year was on the themes of: Populism, Technological revolution, Empowerment of civil society organisations and Urban and rural dimensions. To read more about it, click here and to watch the video click here.
The European Commission has launched an Erasmus+ generation online meeting point. This is an open space for the Erasmus+ participants to give their opinion on the future of the Erasmus+ post 2020. The platform offers several features such as the possibility to propose topics for discussion, plan events, share and vote on several subjects, debate and comment on suggestions and chat with other users. Information about the European Solidarity Corps is also circulated in this platform. Fore more information click here.
On the 20 June the CEV participated in the European Commission’s launch of the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals. The EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals is intended for use by any services that may be offering assistance to third country nationals and should be used in an interview situation to get to know the individual, their skills, qualifications and experiences. It is particularly relevant for volunteering organisations working with refugees and migrants. To read more information and access the tool click here.
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the European Citizens’ initiative. The European citizens' initiative, foreseen in the Treaty on European Union, allows EU citizens to participate directly in the development of EU policies by calling on the European Commission to make a legislative proposal.To participate in the public consultation click here, the deadline is until the 16 August.
On the 3 July the CEV attended the DG EMPL Strategic Dialogue Meeting at the European Commission. The main topics of discussion were the Work Life Balance Package which are part of the launch of the European Pillar of Social Rights and Civil dialogue and ACIG: stock-taking and way forward. CEV emphasised the importance of volunteering in achieving a work life balance.
The European Commission (DG EMPL), together with the Lifelong Learning Platform, the European Volunteer Centre (CEV), and Cedefop in the frame of the EQF Advisory Group is organising a Peer Learning Activity (PLA). The focus of the PLA will be “the role of non-governmental stakeholders in implementing the 2012 Recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning“. This event will take place on the 21 and 22 September in Escola Comercio Lisboa, in Lisbon, Portugal. To read more about it, click here.
The European Economic and Social Committee has launched the ninth Civil Society Prize. The aim of the prize is to reward and encourage tangible initiatives and achievements by civil society organisations and/or individuals that have made a significant contribution to promoting European identity and integration. The deadline for submitting applications is 8 September 2017. To read more click here.
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Other News:
From the 30 September to the 1 October 2017 the European Civic academy organised by Civil Society Europe will take place in Brussels. This year’s topic is about the “NGOs as drivers for enhanced civic and democratic spaces in Europe”. Based on a new format, CSOs and academics will meet to identify priorities as well as a basic concept note for action research related to the role of CSOs in enhancing civic and democratic spaces in Europe, and they will discuss possibilities for action research collaborations. More information will be provided soon.
In November 2016, national leaders for volunteering from 38 countries gathered in Mexico City immediately prior to IAVE’s 24th World Volunteer Conference to share with, learn from and support one another. The report on their discussions is now available.
To read it click here.
On the 4 July CEV was at the event Drop'pin@EURES. Drop’pin is a new project led by the European Commission that aims to help young people and transform their lives. By connecting young people with a range of opportunities to boost their employability and skills across Europe, Drop’pin is the place for young people and organisations to come together for the benefit of all. To know more click here.
On 14 June a policy paper was launched on the topic of “Extending Erasmus: a new impetus for youth mobility in Europe”. Erasmus has expanded considerably since 1987 and has paved the way for the creation of other mobility programmes aimed at pupils in secondary education, those in vocational education & training, and volunteers. In 2014, all these European mobility programmes were brought together within the framework of a new "”Erasmus+” programme.” To read the full article click here.
On 1 July 2017 the Eid Cup took place at Mabley Green Hackney, England. This is an initiative, which was presented in CEV’s PIPE publication, that promotes the use of sports as a way of bringing people from diverse backgrounds together and tackle issues that could lead to building positive communities. The role of volunteers has been fundamental for the success of the event, since they are a source of engagement, funding and other organisational aspects, without which would not be possible to secure the tournament. To read the Pipe publication and about the initiative click here.
On 18-20 October 2017 the European Pro Bono Summit will take place in Hungary. EPBS is an event of the Global Pro Bono Network hosted by Volunteering in Hungary (OKA) in partnership with BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Taproot Foundation and GE Hungary. More information and application form will be available soon at www.probonosummit.eu and www.globalprobono.org.
From the 13-16 November the forum on education for democratic citizenship with a European dimension “Raise your voice for tomorrow’s Europe” will take place in Ljubljana, in Slovenia. The activity will gather various stakeholders –youth work practitioners and youth policy-makers, teachers, educators and activists– from the Erasmus+ Programme Countries and Partner Countries of the Western Balkan region to explore relevant policies and practices in the field, gain new insight on the topic and develop inspiring responses. To apply click here.
