CEV expresses our solidarity with all those suffering from the war in Ukraine and by any other armed conflict in the world, and with the volunteers and all those acting to stand against violence and offer support and refuge.
We honour all the volunteers in the front line of humanitarian support within and outside Ukraine who are showing human compassion & love to those who are suffering.
You represent the very best in the volunteering spirit, and solidarity.
Our deep commitment to democracy and freedom requires us to state our belief that volunteering requires a democratic society and a full democratic Europe everywhere.
The fundamental values of the Council of Europe and the European Union are peace, human rights, democracy, the rule of law and the well-being of people , and as such represent our guiding lights in volunteer engagement.
We call on the international community to ensure support to organisations and volunteers in first lines of humanitarian response and in the ongoing and long term support that will be needed.
We call for increased efforts to find solutions for a lasting peace that will protect lives and ensure dignity and respect for human rights for all those affected. Indifference is never an option.
The #EVCapital 2022 Gdańsk has been able to quickly put in place support and coordination due to the existing strong cross sector partnerships and collaborative approach. More than 350 volunteers have registered at the beginning of the emergency to help and are collaborating with NGOs and the municipality. At the website, built up specifically for this emergency situation, citizens can: report the need for help or indicate the people who need it; offer psychological support, accommodation, language translation, childcare, etc.; give financial support for humanitarian activities. A physical assistance coordination point is also in place. Find more here.
Berlin EVCapital 2021
The Berlin Senate starts a central multilingual page for refugees from Ukraine and for people who want to help. Find more here.
The Call for Candidates for the EV Capital 2024 is now open!
The deadline is 3 June 2022 for candidate Municipalities. Find out more about the competition in this short video and on ourwebsite. Click here for the Call and application form.
Register now for the #BEV2030 Webinars
CEV organises a series of 5 webinars on the Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030, exploring each chapter. The webinars will take place at 14:00 - 17:00 CET on 31 March Independent and inclusive engagement; 27 April New volunteers and methods; 30 May Empowerment; 22 June Appreciation of contribution; 4 July Resources for more Value. More details here and registration here.
Save the Date for the Gdansk Event in October
On 3 and 4 October in Gdansk (Poland) the CEV Autumn Volunteering Congress 2022 will take place, comprising the CEV General Assembly, Study Visit for CEV Members and partners and members of the European Volunteering Capital Candidates Community (EVCCC), EV Capital 2024 candidates presentations and Seminar. Save the dates and stay tuned for more here.
CEV Welcomes new team member
Denis Dereppe as Local Liaison and Research Assistant. Find more about the CEV staff here.
CEV Annual Report 2021
The CEV Annual Report of 2021 is now available at this link.
European Year of Volunteers 2025
Add your support now to declare 2025 the European Year of Volunteers. Only 500 endorsements are needed to make this idea top of the group! Success would be a fitting tribute to the efforts and impact of volunteers during the COVID19 and Ukraine refugee crisis. The European Year of Volunteers 2025 will shine the spotlight on the essential collective actions of volunteers leading to increased health and well being in Europe and provide a suitable framework to better celebrate and reinforce positive recognition of volunteers in Europe. Connect on the #COFOE platform and endorse this idea here. Find the video instructions here.
CEV General Assembly
On 7 March, over 40 representatives from the CEV members participated in person and online. They approved the 2021 Budget and Activity Report and they discussed and approved the CEV Policy Statement on “Standing for Peace and Solidarity”. Read the Statement here.
Board meeting
On 9 March Board members met in Brussels to discuss the 2022 activity plan and the wider strategic aims going forward. Find more about the CEV board here.
INEAR seminar
On 7 March, CEV hosted the INEAR seminar co-funded by the CERV programme in Brussels. Over 60 people from all across Europe discussed and exchanged on how Inclusion, Equality and Rights are defended by volunteers through acts of Solidarity and what is needed to increase the impact and connection to European values and context.
Family Volunteering Multiplier Event
On 8 March in Brussels, CEV hosted the Multiplier event of the Erasmus Plus Project “Family Volunteering''. The event saw the participation of over 60 people and interventions from: Lucas Mejis, RSM; Jane Muthumbi, UNV; Kinga Joo, EESC; Monika Chabior, Deputy Mayor Gdansk; Espen Andresen, Vestre Aker Frivilligsentral; Alexander Stordeur CESES; Colin Scicluna, European Commission; Aline Jürges, European Commission, Marta Hauser, Croatian Volunteer Development Centre, Pauline Boivin, LLLP and Krzysztof Pater on the EESC Opinion on Volunteering and the European year of Volunteers 2025.
UpVal Multiplier Event
On 8 March in Brussels, CEV hosted the Multiplier event of the Erasmus Plus Project “Upval”. The events saw the participation of over 60 people with an interactive programme exploring the role of Volunteering Infrastructure organisations in validation'.
CEV Director meeting EP President
On 28 February Gabriella Civico, CEV Director, met in the European Parliament in Brussels with EP President Roberta Metsola and discussed the current situation of volunteering in Europe and presenting the European Year of Volunteers 2025 campaign.
Civil Society Days 2022
On 15 - 17 March 2022, under the overarching topic of “The EU as a driver of shared prosperity – civil society for an economy that works for people and the planet”, participants explored how to make Europe more resilient and how to boost the transition towards a more social, green and digital European economy. CEV co-organise the workshop 3 “Volunteers for Prosperity” with Volonteurope on 16 March and saw the participation of over 40 people online. Find the results of the event here.
Board member at the “European Perspectives of Social Innovation event”
On 10 February 2022, Daniele Antonozzi participated at the online round table organised by the European Commission – Joint Research Centre and Fondazione Triulza on "European perspectives of social innovation", in the framework of Social Innovation Campus days. Find more here.
World NGOs Day 2022
On 28 February CEV took part to the webinar “Standing up for Civil Society” organised by the Conference of INGOs at the Council of Europe that saw the participation of the founder of the World NGO Day, Marcis Skadmanis; Ambassador Mårten Ehnberg (Sweden), Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Democracy of the Committee of Ministers; representatives from Memorial Russia, Helsinki Committee Hungary, and other Human Rights Defenders from the very frontline as presenters. Find more here.
CoFEU Plenary Strasbourg
CEV Director Gabriella Civico on 11 and 12 March at the European Parliament in Strasbourg represented the Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe at the Migration Working Group & plenary. Other representatives of the Convention were present at the working groups on: Social Economy; European Democracy; EU in the World; Find the recording here. The COFOE Citizen’s Panels presented their recommendations. Panel 1 recommendations; Panel 4 recommendations and the reactions from the CSO Conventions were shared in the plenary.
Civil Society Europe letter to European Parliament President
In this letter, CSE shared with the newly elected President some key recommendations on civil dialogue in order to put dialogue with representative associations of citizens at the centre of her mandate. Find the full letter here.
DYVO Partners Meeting
On 7 and 8 March, DYVO partners gathered online and in Vienna for their project meeting to discuss the current situation and development of the intellectual outputs. Find more about DYVO here.
DYVO training
On 9-11 March the DYVO project organised a three day intensive transnational training experience on validation of competences acquired by volunteers while volunteering for tutors from the project partners countries. Find more about the training here.
Volpris Discussion Forum
On 11 March Partners organised the Volpris Discussion Forum on Recognising the worth of volunteers. Giulia Bordin, CEV Project and Policy officer, presented the opportunities and practices for valuing and validating volunteering and volunteers around Europe. Find more about the project here.
eQyvol Partners meeting
On 17 February CEV joined the fourth online meeting of the project. The project partners have discussed and agreed on the evaluation criteria for the European Youth Volunteering Award 2022.Find more about the project here.
eQyvol Award
The partners of the eQyvol project are proud to be organising the first European Youth Volunteering Award. Organisations from the Erasmus+ Programme Countries who are involved in the coordination or management of youth volunteering projects and/or activities, can participate in the award by completing this application and returning it by the 15 th May 2022 to: award@eqyvol.eu. Find the form here.
Family Volunteering Partners Meeting
On 9 and 10 March the partners met in Brussels to discuss the final steps of the project outputs and to organise the event that will take place in Oslo in May. Find more about the project here.
Upval Partners Meeting
On 18 February 2022 the Upgrading Validation (UpVal) Erasmus+ project partnership met online to discuss the current status of the tasks and discussed the next steps in preparing the multiplier events. Learn more about the project and its outcomes here.
CTV Partners meeting
On 14 March CEV hosted in Brussels and online the fourth meeting of the Erasmus + Complex Toolbox for Volunteers project that aims to help volunteers and organisations in the internationalisation process, through an online training course, and an interactive catalogue of good practices. During the meeting partners shared updates on the Multiplier Events and on the current status of the e-course and e-catalogue. Find more here.
#BEV2030 Endorsements!
You can endorse the CEV Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030 #BEV2030! The Blueprint was approved by the CEV GA held in Berlin and online on 14 September 2021 and advocates for valuing Volunteering based on European values, democracy and #inclusion as a key resource for the #FutureofEurope, not only as a service delivery mechanism, but as the glue that holds society and people together in solidarity with one another. It is available in: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German. Find more about the Blueprint here. To endorse the Blueprint and show your support for this vision for volunteering in Europe, please fill in this form.
BBE
Its campaign “Engagement macht stark!” has opportunities for you to get active and get involved in supporting refugees from Ukraine in Germany. Find more here.
CSV Net
Throughout Italy the CSV system is supporting volunteers, associations, individuals in the many initiatives of collections of primary goods, medicines and funds in Italy. In this article you can find all the initiatives of CSVNet members, including some CEV members such as CSV Padova and Rovigo, CSV Vicenza, CSVNet Lombardia, CSV Marche, constantly updating all the details.
CSV Sardegna Solidale
The CSV, together with Caritas and Civil Protection, are collecting information for those organisations and privates available to offer their support to the refugees from Ukraine. If you want to report an initiative write to csv@sardegnasolidale.it. More information here.
FORUM
The organisation has listed some of the organisations and initiatives in Sweden through which you can contribute. Find more here.
NENO
It has created a webpage on their website where they list all initiatives and organisations active to support refugees from Ukraine. Find more here.
Plateforme Francophone du Volontariat
The organisation has set up a crowdfunding campaign to collect donations to support organisations active in helping refugees. Find more here. If you are an association and are looking for volunteers to help you leave Belgium, write an email at info@levolontariat.be.
SEEYN
The organisation has released a statement on the current situation. Find it here.
Slovenska Filantropija
The Slovenian philanthropy started by collecting interest in the readiness to help refugees from Ukraine that might go to Slovenia. If you are ready to activate, you can fill out the questionnaire. Find more here.
Vlaams Steunpunt Vrijwilligerswerk
It is possible now in Belgium to help as an organisation with collecting clothes, offering shelter, translating or organising transport for war refugees from Ukraine by placing a call for these solidarity actions on the website weldoeners.be by registering the activity and writing 'Ukraine' in the field to help with eg cooking, reading, walking. Find more here.
WOSM
Scouts are supporting people in Ukraine impacted by the ongoing conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis. Scouts are welcoming, assisting & hosting refugees in neighbouring countries like Poland, Romania, Czechia, Lithuania, Hungary, Estonia and Slovakia. Read more about Scouts’ relief efforts & how you can help here.
CVDC
DKolektiv, member organisation of CEV member Croatian Volunteer Development Centre, is looking for two long-term volunteers who will assist them in designing and implementing the program of various activities of the Social Atelier, through the ESC project “Inclusive community”. Social Atelier is the program designed to offer services and activities in the local community that can contribute to overcoming social exclusion and encouraging social integration of citizens, communities and groups. More details here.
Good Network Foundation
It has published the "E-volunteering Handbook": a practical handbook created to familiarise you with the ins and outs of online volunteering and effective cooperation with online volunteers, as well as present the how-tos of making an e-volunteering idea see the daylight. You can find it here. The handbook is also available in Ukrainian.
SEEYN
The organisation has released a statement on the current situation. Find it here.
Slovenska Filantropija
The 13th All-Slovenia volunteer campaign Day for Change, which will be held on Saturday, 9 April 2022, entitled “Let's Co-Create the Community”. To facilitate participation a handbook is available for the implementation of actions and other instructions available here. The deadline for registration of activities is March 25.
Volunteer Scotland
Has recently published the 'The Road to Recovery' research report exploring the actual and projected impact of COVID-19 on volunteering in Scotland during the pandemic and over the longer term. This report is testimony to the extraordinary and heroic work of organisations and individuals during an unprecedented time. View the summary, themed and full report here.
Speech by EP President Roberta Metsola
On 1 March the President spoke at the Plenary focusing on the war in Ukraine and highlighting the role of Civil Society Organisations “European citizens, organisations, businesses, sports have taken a clear and forceful stand - underlining that they will not deal with or welcome an aggressor”. Find more here.
Statement by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel
The commissioner has thanked the Erasmus+ students' exchanges and the European Solidarity Corps volunteers, who helped the EU in the promotion and understanding of solidarity among people from all countries and all backgrounds throughout their actions. Find the full statement here.
CSE Advocacy Success! Moving Closer to Article 11 implementation
EP President, Roberta Metsola, includes among her responsibilities "contacts with civil society organisations representing citizens" and being replaced in her duties by Vice President Pedro Silva Pereira. It is the first time that such a reference is included in the mandates of the European Parliament President/Vice President. Find more here.
Civil society: Parliament calls for EU rules and strategy to counter threats
On 10 March the report by MEP Anna Donath on the shrinking space of civil society in the EU was adopted with a majority in the European Parliament Plenary. MEPs adopted proposals to recognise the crucial role of civil society for democracy, calling for a Commission strategy and common rules across all member states. Find more here.
European Citizen’s Prize 2022
Awarded every year by the European Parliament, the prize goes to projects organised by people, volunteers or organisations that encourage: Mutual understanding and closer integration between people in the EU; Cross-border cooperation that builds a stronger European spirit; EU values and fundamental rights. Volunteers are strongly encouraged as candidates MEPs can also make a nomination. Application deadline: 18 April 2022. Find more here.
European Year of Youth
2022 is the #EuropeanYearOfYouth, shining a light on the importance of European youth to build a better future – greener, more inclusive and digital. The Year has a strong connection with volunteering, being one of the priorities. Organisations and relevant stakeholders are invited to create initiatives on this topic. Find out how here.
Here you can check the Liaison Group Newsletter for February 2022.
Support to Refugees from Ukraine
The European Commission has created a specific section in their website focusing on how citizens can help refugees from Ukraine and CSOs and Volunteering organisations actively and directly involved in dealing with the emergency. Find more here.
European Solidarity Corps
It is possible to take part in humanitarian volunteering activities outside Europe. Available calls can be found here. To not miss any update on the European Solidarity Corps Programme, it is possible to join the official Facebook Group.
e-Volunteering and the war in Ukraine
On 8 March Marzena Kacprowicz has published her article on “The war in Ukraine and e-volunteering: how to help via the Internet?”. Read it here.
Open Letter to Conference Chairs
Citizen's Takeover Europe alliance has published an open letter initiated for improving the accountability and transparency of the Conference on the Future of Europe's Plenary for the adoption of final recommendations. The full letter can be found here.
Medal of Honour for Volunteering in Europe
The Association pour le Volontariat à l’Acte Gratuit en Europe (AVE) awards with the Medal of Honour for Volunteering in Europe volunteers and volunteering organisations in recognition of their commitment to the development of: relationships between associations in Europe, associations and institutions; associative action for the promotion and development of human rights, solidarity and humanitarian action. The Jury deciding the winner of the award is composed of the AVE, EUVI, a representativo of the Conference of INGOs at the Council of Europe, a representativo of the OING-Service, and 3 volunteers. For more info write to: medaille@ave-europe.org.
For other European Volunteering and Civil Society related matters check out and subscribe to other newsletters here.
CEV is always willing to welcome new members to our network. You can read more information about membership on our website or in our “Why to be a member of the CEV network?” flyer.
