Third meeting of the Volunteering Interest Group in the European Parliament
Hosted by the co-chairs MEPs Irena Joveva (Renew Europa), Michaela Šojdrová (EPP) and Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D) MEPs, and attended by MEPs, MEP assistants and other stakeholders, the EP VIG will meet online on 23 March 2021. There will be update and discussion of the 10th Anniversary of EYV 2011 #EYVplus10, the new ‘’Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030’’ (#BEV2030) and the European #Solidarity Corps. Register here. Check out more here.
EV Capital 2021 Berlin - Opening Ceremony
The event took place online last February 18th, accompanied by a social media campaign under the motto #EntdeckeDasWirInDir. Broadcasted from Berlin’s City Hall, and moderated by Petra Gute, the event counted with the interventions of Governing Mayor Michael Müller, Sawsan Chebli, Arne Friedrich, Katharina Foerster, and Katja Jäger, as well as European Commission Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, who delivered a speech on the values of volunteering and the European actions on volunteering. Watch the video here.
EV Capital 2021 Berlin
Messages of support for Berlin were received from other EVCCC representatives. Watch the video here.
EV Capital 2021 Berlin - Themes announced
During the second part of the ceremony, there was an opportunity for networking and discussion in various breakout sessions, which revolved around four themes: Digitalization, Innovation, Diversity, and Europe. This was the start of a series of events and activities that will take place throughout the year as part of the EV Capital 2021 framework. The basis of all activities will be the idea that civic engagement strengthens solidarity and the stability of democratic values. Visit Berlin’s EVC website to follow the campaign.
Reminder: The new Call for Candidates for the EV Capital 2023 was open in February
The deadline is 7 June 2021. Check the following video if you are interested in discovering more about the competition. You can find more information such as the call and the application form on our website.
WISH
WISH Platform is still growing, in the last months 8 new countries have been included on the platform (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Bulgaria). WISH is an online platform, developed by CEV in the frame of the European Solidarity Corps projects, where volunteer-based and/or volunteer-led initiatives that support the inclusion and integration of migrants and refugees are geographically displayed, categorised depending on the kind of support they offer. The platform counts with more than 100 organizations from 23 different countries across Europe and all over the world. The initiatives that are in the platform offer services such as legal advice, psychological assistance or languages support. Submit your initiative here.
ERNOP Science and Society Seminars
On 23 March, “Sustaining voluntary energy” webinar will take place, part of the ERNOP-CEV cooperation. Professor Lucas Meijs, from the Department of Business-Society Management at the Rotterdam School of Management will present a new model to sustain, preserve and grow volunteer energy as a resource. He will describe how voluntary energy can be grown in society and recycled (circular instead of linear) within the sector. CEV Director Gabriella Civico will also share her reaction to these ideas. CEV is happy to warmly endorse this crucial initiative in an age characterized by unprecedented challenges. The global pandemic, climate change, migration, polarization and the rise of artificial intelligence requires every societal actor, including philanthropy, to do better, more, or different. More details and registration here.
CEV- Moody's Report 2020CEV
Moody's Report 2020 is now available. Throughout 2020 CEV supported Moody’s Foundation to implement its Employee Volunteering Programme "Team Up" in France, Italy, Russian Federation, Spain and Sweden. The Moody's Team Up programme engaged 127 volunteers in different activities and with diverse NGOs to deliver much-needed community impact. You can read it here.
Volunteering Infrastructure Publication- Hungary
An updated, 2020 version of the Hungary chapter is now available. This publication looks at the situation and context of volunteering with each chapter focussing on one country, with the research being supported by CEV member organisations in the relevant countries, CEV staff and UEA Erasmus plus trainees. Find more here.
CEV video - Now available in Romanian!
CEV’s general video, talking about the organisation’s history, objectives and activities, is now available with subtitles in 10 languages. You can access the video here.
New VAR Brussels Edition
CEV has published the 4th episode of VAR Brussels Edition on YouTube. The Volunteering Advocacy Report (VAR) is a regular feature explaining the different areas of focus and advocacy actions taken by the CEV secretariat in Brussels. View the fourth edition here.
CEV Board meeting
On 26 February, the CEV Board met online to reflect on the new year so far, discussing #EYVPlus10 activities, the #BEV2030 and reviewing the 2020 report, 2021 work plan and budget. Find more about the CEV board here.
Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe
On 4th March, at the constitutive meeting gathering over 70 European civil society networks, CEV Director Gabriella Civico was elected as a member of the Steering Committee. Read the press release here.
Volpris
On 19 February the Discussion Forum for the topic "Volunteering in Prison and Reducing Inequality" took place. It was an exciting event giving participants the opportunity to establish new connections and learn from each other’s experience. The cycle of Volpris Discussion forums continues with the next appointment on April 7 on the occasion of the World Health Day 2021 - on Apr 7, 2021!
DYVO Kick Off Meeting
On 25&26 February, we had the Kick Off meeting of ‘’DYVO-Digital technologies for validating young volunteers competences’’. This Erasmus+ funded project (2020-2022), will develop digital technology tools to validate the competences of young volunteers in Europe. Find out more here.
VALUES- Online Volunteering Exchange Visit Vantaa - Madrid
On 18 February Vantaa Municipality hosted Madrid volunteer and municipality representatives at the online Volunteering Exchange visit within the framework of the VALUES project. "Migrants are not only people in need but they can help others who just moved to our city". Find more about the VALUES project here.
Complex Toolbox for Volunteers (CTV): Call for good examples from Belgium
We are collecting best practice to inspire volunteers that would like to plan and run international projects. Please share your example here! CTV, an Erasmus+ project implemented in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, aims to develop the skills of volunteers in planning and managing European and international projects, to enhance their digital skills, intercultural competence, their sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. More about the project in the latest CTV Updates.
Volunteers in Lipa supporting people in emergency situations
Volunteers from several European volunteering organizations are active at the Lipa camp at the Bosnia and Herzegovina/ Croatia border, providing access to basic needs like food, beverage, heating, clothes and tents. CEV’s projects, PREVENT and VOCIS, have highlighted the important role of volunteers in emergency situations, particularly in response to welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and migrants as an expression of solidarity. Read more here.
European Dimension in Volunteering Festivals and weeks 2021
In 2021, the #EYVPlus10 anniversary, citizens all across Europe continue to confront challenges increasingly compounded by the ongoing pandemic situation and they will be supported in doing so by countless #volunteers. In many countries, regions and municipalities of Europe a number of events such as Volunteer Weeks, Festivals, Conferences, will be organised in 2021 seeking to shine a spotlight on volunteering and its important role for well-being and sustainability in our communities. This year, as part of the #EYVPlus10 campaign, we invite organisers of such initiatives to ensure the inclusion of a "European Dimension" in their programmes. This will give an opportunity to increase understanding about the connections between volunteering and European Values and also assess how the #NextGenerationEU fund, set up to support the COVID19 recovery process, is, or is not, supporting volunteering and developing proposals for doing better! Some CEV members have already launched their year long #EYVplus10 initiatives. We have featured two such examples here below.
Hungary - National Year of Volunteering
On 3 February the Hungarian Year of Volunteering 2021 was officially launched. CEV members Önkéntes Központ Alapítvány (ÖKA) and Talentum Alapítvány together with 11 NGOs initiated the proposal that was adopted by the Government of Hungary; other Hungarian non-governmental organisations, local governments and businesses also joined the initiative. Find more about the Hungarian Year of Volunteering and how to contribute here.
The Netherlands - National Year of Volunteering
The national program titled “People Make the Netherlands” was launched on 2 December 2020 by Queen Máxima. The 2021 campaign hopes to reverse statistics in the country which show fewer people are spending less time volunteering; the program also aims to engage new people into volunteering activities and to raise awareness on volunteering support by organising knowledge sharing events across the country. Read more about the campaign and scheduled events here.
#EYVplus10 Blog
CEV published a new blog post in CEV’s special blog series for #EYVplus10. This post speaks about the benefit and necessity of introducing a European perspective in the volunteering weeks, festivals and events to be organised in 2021. Read all about it and about how volunteering is always part of a bigger story here.
Podcast - “Let’s Talk Volunteering (EU)”
To consolidate a conversation about important aspects related to volunteering policy, support and practice, CEV has also launched a podcast within the #EYVplus10 frame. The second episode of the podcast has CEV Board Member George Thomson as a special guest. You can listen to the second episode here and contribute to the conversation on CEV online channels, using #EYVplus10.
Perm Center of Volunteerism Development (PCVD)- International Competition “SDGs on Friendly Terms”
This competition aimed at developing inclusive spaces in youth environments will run from February 1 to April 4, 2021. Since 2017, the competition has involved more than 9,000 schoolchildren and teachers, from 34 different countries, who have together implemented more than 724 projects in local communities to support inclusion and meeting the goals of the SDGs. The winners of the Competition will be invited to participate in the Inclusive Social Transformations Forum #INFOCUS, held at the United Nations Office in Geneva (Switzerland) in June 2021. There they will be able to present the results of their socially significant initiatives. You can find more here.
PVE- “Third sector demands participation in European funds to reduce inequalities”
The Spanish Third Sector Platform (PTS) has asked for the participation of state and regional NGOs in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, a package of measures financed by the EU, with a view to collaborate on strategies and the execution of work plans to reduce inequalities, curb the digital divide and recover social rights, affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The president of the PTS has stressed the importance of reinforcing the governance and social and civil participation in this process, as the third sector can play an important role in identifying the necessary key transformations. You can read the full article here.
PVE - “Elderly people, key to social participation”
A new study published by the Democratic Union of Pensioners and Retirees of Spain (UDP) on “The participation of elderly people through non-profit organizations”, brings into view the motivations and challenges of the elderly in activism. This report offers a realistic approach to the associative movement of this collective and its contribution to social development in Spain. Read it here.
SosyalBen Foundation- Volunteering Research Report
SosyalBen Foundation has published a report on “Volunteering Research Report”, prepared in cooperation with Koç University, the Center for Gender Studies at Koc University (KOÇ-KAM) and the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Sustainable Development. The report presents the findings of a quantitative study based on individuals volunteering or that have done volunteering at the SosyalBen Foundation and other institutions. The research shows the participants’ motivation for participating, their expectations of, and their gains from volunteering activities, while also covering a literature review that presents basic descriptive statistics on volunteering in the world and Turkey. You can read the full report here.
Scouting Europe - Scouting Day
This year's celebration of the scouts took place online on 22 February. In particular the celebrations focused on recognising the contribution scouts have made through volunteering towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. You can find more here.
System & Generation Association - S&G for Youth - “Closing the gap”
As part of the 12 Webinars sessions “S&G for Youth”, the eleventh session took place on Friday 5 February and was focused on the topic of Gender Equality. During the session concepts related to gender, gender stereotyping and the socio-cultural roots of gender inequality were discussed. The event was carried out by the S&G international ESC volunteers with the joint participation of youth from 10 different countries, aiming to promote active citizenship and to raise awareness on relevant social issues. You can check more information on the System & Generation Association website.
SEEYN’s participation in the World NGO Day
On the occasion of the World NGO Day, Mirela Rajkovic, from CEV member SEEYN, joined as speaker panel 2 “When violence is a part of public life – Civil Society and top-down polarisation” of the Webinar “Challenges Facing NGOs in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations” organised by the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe of which CEV is part. Watch the full webinar here.
Slovakia - National Volunteer Award 2020
CARDO - The National Volunteer Centre in Slovakia, in partnership with Platform of Volunteer Centres and Organizations, will host a live online broadcast of the Volunteer of 2020 on 11 March at 6pm. This twelfth edition will recognise and celebrate the value of mutual help and serve to inspire others to make a positive change. The Heart in Hand Awards ceremony is organised in cooperation with regional volunteer centres and will be held under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The event can be followed through this link.
EESC - Civil Society Awards
Hosted virtually, this award honoured 23 civil society organisations, individuals and private companies whose projects have excelled as examples of remarkable solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the event, Cillian Lohan, the EESC's vice-president for communication, gave a speech paying tribute to the selfless acts of volunteers whose efforts were vital during the pandemic. The prize launched in July 2020 with the theme "Civil Society against COVID-19", announcing that it would be an exceptional, one-off award replacing its trademark Civil Society Prize. The contest was open to individuals, civil society organisations and companies whose projects had to be strictly not-for-profit and not more than 50% publicly funded. They had to be directly linked to COVID-19, specifically aiming to fight the virus or to tackle its consequences.
Find more about the prize and the winners here.
EACEA Funding programmes
A political agreement has been made for EACEA’s new generation of funding. Running for the period 2021-2027, the new funding programme will build on the success of previous years with a focus on Erasmus+, Creative Europe, the European Solidarity Corps and the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV). You can read more here.
Committee of Regions
A stakeholders consultation took place on Thursday 25 February with the topic “Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”. It has been over a year since the entry into function of the new European Commission College and the decision to implement the SDGs with the European Green Deal and their integration in the European Semester. The CoR is calling on EU regions and cities to express their views on the work done so far, considering that the engagement on the SDGs at EU level has a real impact on action at local and regional level including that done by civil society and volunteers.
Civil Society Days 2021
From 1-5 March, the European Economic and Social Committee hosted a series of webinars for the annual Civil Society Days. Each webinar, organised by different CSOs, aimed to create a forum for discussion on different issues related to Europe, it’s citizens, civil society and the recovery process following an extremely turbulent 2020. CEV’s webinar, in collaboration with EESC SOC Section, focused on “The role and economic value of volunteers in the road to recovery and beyond'', and took place on 4 March with over 40 participants, featuring presentations from guest speakers (Laurenţiu Plosceanu-SOC President, CEV President-Lejla Sehic Relic, Krzysztof Pater-EESC member and Prof. Lucas Meijs) and three discussion groups, before bringing all the ideas together in a closing feedback session. You can find more information about the whole series here, and CEV’s workshop here.
European Solidarity Corps song contest- “Unleash your magic!”
The European Solidarity Corps has launched the song contest “Unleash your magic! Your European Solidarity Corps song!”. The contest is open to anybody creative and inspired by the European Solidarity Corps aged 18 to 31, registered on the European Solidarity Corps Portal and who is currently in an activity or was in an ESC activity previously. Participation is open until 10 April 2021. You can check the terms and conditions here.
Turkey - Türkiye Gençlik STK’ları Platformu (TGSP) “Volunteering in the world and in Turkey”
The event took place this February as part of the Youth Leadership Training Program, organized by the Turkish Youth NGOs Platform (TGSP), Turkey’s first inclusive platform with eighty-eight NGOs with a focus on volunteering The event counted with the participation and speech of Emirhan Hikmet Aslan, Programme Officer (Erasmus+ / European Solidarity Corps) of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More info here.
VOLUNTAS - “Who Is in Charge? Social Inequality in Different Fields of Volunteering”
The research published by ISTR focuses on exploring inequality within volunteers in civil society organizations, and the factors that bring actors into more powerful positions in volunteering, while identifying the characteristics and resources that come into play when holding an executive position in the field of volunteering in general and in four specific subfields (culture and leisure, social services, religion, sports). The study is based on the analysis of a database created from the Austrian micro-census. You can read it here.
European Civic Academy 2021
Organised by the European Civic Forum, this series of three webinars focuses on “Rebuilding trust in Democracy, challenges and opportunities for civic activists”, with discussions around the growing distrust in democracy and divisions in our society, which have only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The first session, “Inclusion: For The People Or With The People?” will look at how to better involve marginalised groups within the civil society movement as volunteers and employees, and ensure that the outcomes work for them. Read more here. Date: 24 March 2021, 15:00-18:00
"Volunteering for Social change: Volunteers as Actors and Activists in Protecting Civil Society" - IAVE Webinars
IAVE launched a 4-part webinar series, to explore the role of volunteers in social activism and the various ways they contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable society. The sessions focus on the role of volunteers in dealing with the impact of and supporting the recovery from the COVID19 pandemic. Find more here.
IAVE - 2022 Global Youth Volunteering Summit (GYVS)
The call for applications to become part of the Youth Advisory Group for the 2022 Global Youth Volunteering Summit (GYVS) is now open. The Summit is a global event made by youth and for youth, gathering volunteers from around the world to share expertise and collaborate. Find more and apply here.
Open position within IAVE Secretariat team
An opening to fill the role of Director of Networks and Convenings position within the organization’s Secretariat has been announced. The vacancy is open to experienced individuals who will be in charge of driving the visioning and strategic expansion of IAVE’s Global Network for Volunteer Leaders. The deadline to apply is 2 April 2021. More info here.
Red Cross EU Office - Position Paper on “Protecting the humanitarian space to access and support migrants”
This new position paper addresses key steps to uphold necessary conditions for humanitarian actors to operate when necessary for humanitarian activities with and for migrants. A series of recommendations to the EU and Member States are made by National Red Cross Societies aimed to ensure a favorable environment for humanitarian actors to address migrants’ vulnerabilities and needs, as well as mitigate the risks they face. To read the full recommendations and the position paper, you can access them here.
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.
