Volunteering Interest Group in the European Parliament
On 14 April, EP VIG met online with 28 participants to reflect on the current situation of the new European Solidarity Corps programme together with Ms. Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot-Director and Ms. Jadranka Vukovic Johnsson-Head of Sector of Youth, Education and Erasmus+ (DG EAC.B - European Commission), in anticipation of the publication of the first Call for Proposals in the new MFF. You can check out here the Call for 2021.
Padova Closing Ceremony
On 30 April, the official Closing Ceremony of Padova as the European Volunteering Capital 2020 took place online. The ceremony saw the participation of Cristina Piva, Councillor of Comune di Padova for Educational and School Policies and Volunteering, Emanuele Alecci, President CSV provinciale di Padova, Gabriella Civico, CEV Director, Katharina Foerster project manager for Berlin EV Capital 2021and of Dubravka Šuica, Vice-president of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography. Watch the full event here here.
Padova EV Capital 2020 Legacy
On 30 April, CSV Padova President, Emanuele Alecci, announced that Volunteering candidates as a UNESCO intangible asset as the legacy of Padova EVCapital 2020. Find more here.
EV Capital 2021 Berlin - 14th Online Volunteer Fair “We shape Civil Society!”
From 19 to 23 April the exchange took place online and served to inspire social engagement in the city and create a virtual space for conversations between exhibitors and visitors. The opening session included a message from Emanuele Alecci, President of CSV Padova, watch it here, and CEV’s Director Gabriella Civico was interviewed, watch it here. Participating organizations provided information about their objectives and their engagement opportunities and the recordings and all the information about the events can be found here.
Reminder: The Deadline for Candidates for the EV Capital 2023 is 7 June 2021
CEV invites you to share the call and inspire deserving municipalities to become an EVCapital 2023 candidate. You can now read about the greatest achievements of former EVCapitals in the newly released EVCapital legacy document. The EVCapital 2023 competition is described in this video and all the information about the call and the application form can be found on our website.
WISH
The WISH 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.
Tandem - now possible online
Tandem is an initiative to get refugees, asylum seekers and organisations working and learning, working and growing together. Tandem was set up in 2016 to help and support refugees and asylum-seekers residing in Belgium, with the aim of providing a possibility for them to contribute to the community, and support the restoration of their dignity and autonomy through volunteer placements. Organisations can take part in supporting integration and making a meaningful contribution at the local level, while developing links with the home countries of the refugees and asylum seekers. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, CEV has been working on updating Tandem to the latest standards on safety measures and it is now possible to take part in online volunteering opportunities. Read more about Tandem here.
ERNOP Science and Society Seminars
On 25 May (10-11 CEST), join the “Taxation, philanthropy and implications for practice” webinar, part of the ERNOP Online Seminars-Series 2021. The recent OECD report on Taxation and Philanthropy, initiated by the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy of the University of Geneva, provides relevant practical insights into this domain as well as the potential for improvement. Dr Giedre Lideikyte Huber from the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Geneva and Hanna Surmatz, Director of the EFC and Dafne Philanthropy Advocacy Initiative will discuss the findings of the report. More details and register here by 23 May. You can check here Gabriella Civico’s (CEV Director) blog entry in Alliance magazine in connection with the first ERNOP webinar on ‘’Sustaining voluntary energy’’ from 23 March.
An updated, 2021 version of the Bulgaria chapter is now available. This publication looks at the situation and context of volunteering with each chapter focusing on one country, with the research being supported by CEV member organisations in the relevant countries, CEV staff and UEA trainees.
Goodbye & Thank you to Berta and welcome Maria
In May CEV said goodbye to our trainee from the PICE mobility programme, Berta Valle. During his time with us, Berta contributed to communication and the European Volunteering Capital 2023 competition. We thank her for all her contributions and wish her the best in the future! You can find an interview conducted at the closing of her traineeship here. Maria Ruiz will join our team from 06 May - 06 November 2021 thanks to the PICE programme. She will assist with communication and European Union project implementation and follow up. Find out more about our team here.
CEV - RSM Collaboration
CEV is collaborating with Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) to publish a series of articles on volunteering-related topics in English. The articles will cover a broad range of topics and versions of the articles have been previously published in Dutch. You can read the first two articles ‘’The untapped reservoir of volunteer energy in membership-based organizations’’ and ‘’Approach the ‘lapsed-volunteer’ like a slot machine in membership-based associations’’ here.
Webinar on SDGs
On 23 April, CEV hosted a webinar for 30 participants on "The contribution of volunteers in reaching the SDGs - How can this be measured and included in the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs)?". To understand better how how CSOs can influence the VNRs at local and national level, CEV Members (WOSM-Scouting in Europe, CSV provinciale di Padova and Rovigo and Plataforma Voluntariado España) presented their experiences and external experts from SDG Watch Europe, IAVE, France Volontaires and UNV also shared their knowledge.
CEV Board Meeting
CEV Board members gathered on 19 April online to review the #EYVplus10 year so far and plan the next steps for the development of the Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030 (#BEC2030). In addition, the preparations for the CEV General Assembly in May 2021 were finalised. Find more about the Board here and read about the #EYVplus10 here.
CEV General Assembly - 17 May
The 2021 CEV General Assembly will be held in two separate sessions. The first session will be hosted online on 17 May (9-13h CEST). Member organisations and their representatives are invited to actively participate in the discussions especially on the draft ‘’Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030’’ and on some important updates for the CEV statutes and internal rules.
Gerhard Ermischer elected President of the Conference of INGOs
On 27&28 April, CEV took part, as a member, at the Spring online Session of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe during which was elected a new leadership (President, two Vice-Presidents, eight members of the Standing Committee). Read more here.
Let’s rock the Conference for the Future of Europe!
On 7 April, the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe rejected a proposal from the European Parliament to include a representative of the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe as an observer. However, the Civil Society Convention remains firmly engaged in mobilising its wide and diverse constituencies to bring into the public debate a strong and shared agenda for addressing social, environmental and democratic challenges, contributing to the Conference Plenary and scrutinising the implementation processes that will be needed to follow-up. Read more here.
Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe-Steering Committee Meeting
The Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe Steering Committee met on 22 April. The role of the Steering Committee is to impulse the Convention’s strategy and ensure its implementation, as well as to coordinate the content-based work and outputs. The meeting focused on starting to work with the thematic clusters while preparing a detailed plan with objectives and timeline for each of them. CEV will be leading, together with Volonteurope, the cluster on European Rights and Values, Migration challenges, security and the EU’s role in the world. Stay tuned to discover how to get involved. Read more here.
CULT hearing - Structured dialogue with youth
On 10 May, the meeting of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) in the EP took place and the study “Education and Youth in post-COVID19 Europe – Crisis effects and policy recommendations” was presented. CEV together with EFIL and the European Youth Forum gave contributions to the exchange of views on the topic - "Challenges and opportunities for youth in a post COVID19 context". Gabriella Civico, CEV Director presented on solidarity, civic engagement and volunteering activities for young people in a post pandemic context. Agenda is available here and the webstreaming here.
FEBA Conference
On 7 May, CEV participated in the Annual Convention of the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA): “For a sustainable future food system”. Gabriella Civico, CEV Director, moderated the working table dedicated to volunteering, focusing on the new challenges for volunteers and volunteering organisations, new engagement models and the value of volunteering for local communities. The event focused on the transformation of the food systems, also due to COVID19, and on the role of Food Banks in the capacity building of sustainable food systems for all. 2021 Annual Convention is recognised as UN Food Systems Independent Dialogue – more info here.
Digital technologies for validating young volunteers competences
DYVO Erasmus+ project website is out. DYVO will develop 3 digital technology tools, a Dyvo App, a Dyvo Model E-book and a Dyvo Training Package to enable validate the competences of young volunteers in Europe to validate the competences acquired while volunteering. Find the website and project updates here.
Validation of transversal skills across Europe - Kick Off Meeting
On 14 April, CEV took part in the Kick Off meeting of a new project ‘’TRANSVAL-EU’’. TRANSVAL-EU is an Erasmus+ KA3 project (2021-2023) to test innovative approaches for the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) of transversal skills, including acquired through #volunteering, in five pilot countries (Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Belgium). Find out more here.
V4V Kick Off meeting
On 5 May, CEV attended the Kick-Off online meeting of the V4V “Analysing and making visible the skills acquired through volunteering in sport in Europe” project. The project will be developed in 36 month from 2021 to 2023, the main aim of V4V project is analyse the sport volunteer workforce, improve recruitment and retention and create an innovative online tool which showcases their skills and competences to potential employers and education providers. Find out more here.
UpVal Roadmap - Available Now
The Erasmus+ “Upgrading Validation (UpVal)” project partners are happy to share the UpVal Roadmap, a new tool supporting volunteer-involving-organisations that are interested to make validation of skills and competences acquired whilst volunteering part of their volunteering.
Complex Toolbox for Volunteers (CTV): Call for good examples from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain
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 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.
Call for Belgian organisations to host Family Volunteering pilot projects
We are interested to learn more about the learning context family volunteering may provide to the volunteers involved as well as to see what kind of support would organisations need to be able to offer quality family volunteering opportunities. Join us if you are interested to pilot an activity that involves families as volunteers in Belgium. More details here.
VOLPRIS Recommendations
EU Member States should invest in properly trained volunteer coordinators in prisons and in cross-border activities as a catalyst for the exchange of volunteering practices in prisons that actively promote successful reintegration for offenders and ex-offenders on release. Read more here.
Volpris Discussion Forum
On 7 April, in order to mark #WorldHealthDay, the Volpris Erasmus Plus Project partners organised the second Discussion Forum that saw the presence of keynote speakers from Irish Red Cross, Croix-Rouge de Belgique, Probacja and EP:IC Consulting. The Discussion Forum focused on the COVID19 recovering prisoners on release, how poor health outcomes have impacted upon the families and children of prisoners, and what #volunteers can do to support them. Find pictures of the event here. Find more about the Volpris project here.
#EYVplus10 Blog
CEV published a new blog post in CEV’s special blog series for #EYVplus10. The focus of the blog post is on the subject of quality volunteering and what more needs to be done in Europe. You can read the blog post here.
Podcast - “Let’s Talk Volunteering (EU)”
CEV’s podcast channel ‘’Let’s Talk Volunteering - A European Perspective’’ comes back with a new episode, with special guests Ilaria Ferraro from European Volunteering Capital 2020, Padova and Katharina Foerster from European Volunteering Capital 2021, Berlin. In this episode, the guests will share what the title meant for their community and municipality. You can listen to the podcast here.
Hrvatska Volontira (Croatia) - Quality standards of volunteer centers
The quality markers are aimed to help organizations that act as volunteer centers achieve this role better and easier, on the benefit of their basic users - citizens (volunteers), as well as other stakeholders. It is an organizational development tool that defines the basic level of service that every volunteer center has to provide to its users, enabling volunteer centers to stand out in their communities through the quality of services and gain their trust, while providing a clear and objective frame for evaluating the quality of activities, and achieving responsibility towards users and donors. Read more here.
France Bénévolat (France)- New President elected
On April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors of France Bénévolat met and elected a new president, François Bouchon. He succeeds Didier Defer, who carried out the function for 3 years. Member of the National Office since 2018, he served as treasurer of the association. François Bouchon expresses the wish to follow the motto of France Bénévolat “from the heart to action” by retaining the three priority axes of action mentioned during the AGM of April 8: “networking, doing together and doing digital”.
Meet & Match (Bulgaria) 2021
On 13 April, Lejla Sehic Relic, CEV President, joined the online event “Meet & Match” organised in collaboration with the CEV Member Big Brothers and Sisters of Bulgaria, presenting the work done by CEV on mentoring and volunteering. The event focused on strengthening the collaboration between the mentoring field and European decision- and policy making. It was also a major activity for the mentoring field to connect the personal, social and economic effect of mentoring to European priorities. Here you can find the resource bank and the event summaries.
Fundación Hazloposible (Spain) launches an alliance to promote technological solutions for NGOs
The foundation and the Sngular technology company have formalized a strategic alliance that will allow the more than 9,000 NGOs that make up the Foundation's social base access to the use of new technologies and, consequently, a boost in its digitization processes, essential in the fulfillment of their missions. More information here.
PVE (Spain)- New video to explain the Volunteer Management Cycle
The Spanish Volunteering Platform (PVE) has launched a video to inform entities about the Volunteer Management Cycle Manual, designed to offer a reference in the management of volunteers. The objective is to achieve loyalty and promotion of quality volunteering. Here you can see the video.
PVE (Spain)- “Volunteering and Sustainable Development Goals”, practical guide for NGOs
PVE member - FEVOCAM, platform of voluntary entities of the Community of Madrid (EVCapital 2023 Candidate) have published “Volunteering and Sustainable Development Goals”, a practical guide that collects for each SDG block a decalogue with measures so that NGOs can contribute to meeting these goals to achieve a better and more sustainable future. You can read it here.
NCVO and Volunteer Scotland (UK)- Volunteers’ Week 2021
Volunteers Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. It has been announced that the next Volunteers’ Week will be held from 1 to 7 June 2021. Check for updated information here.
BEV2030 meeting with CSVNet members (Italy)
On 30 April, Italian CEV Member, CSVnet in cooperation with CEV, hosted an online webinar in Italiandedicated to the CEV Blueprint for European Volunteering 2030 #BEV2030. The event, which gathered around 30 participants from across Italy, allowed participants to exchange and share ideas on the Blueprint initiative. Find more on the Blueprint here.
“European senior Volunteering through mentoring for the social inclusion of Young people in difficulties”
CEV member, CESES is a partner in the “EvolYou” Erasmus+ project coordinated by CSVNet member VolTo that contributes to improve the level of key competences and skills, with particular regard to their relevance for labour market and their contribution to a cohesive society, in particular through strengthened cooperation between the world of education and training and the world of work. More info here.
Europe Day - 9 May and launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe
This year’s Europe Day comes together with great news of the Conference on the Future of Europe: its formal launch is scheduled to kick-off on 9 May in Strasbourg! The Conference will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future. Read more about it here.
Citizens' platforms of the Conference on the Future of Europe
The Conference on the Future of Europe currently counts on two digital platforms made available by the EU Institutions to facilitate citizen participation. The platforms are the place for citizens to share ideas, send online submissions, attend events and even host their own.. The outputs will be collected, analysed, monitored and published throughout the Conference. Future.eu - available in 24 languages - was launched on 19 April by the European Commission. Read more here. Together.eu is the European Parliament’s pan-European community that encourages everybody to participate in democracy. Read more here.
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Valuesprogramme 2021 - 2028
The CERV work programme has been published. It provides funding in the area of justice and fundamental rights and will support projects promoting non-discrimination and gender equality, children's rights, a common European history and memory, fight against racism and gender-based violence and the democratic engagement of citizens, including as volunteers. More information here. Register here for the Civil Dialogue Week 2021, which will take place online 25 - 28 May 2021. You will have the possibility to attend a High-Level Political Forum, Info Days on funding opportunities and upcoming calls for proposals. CEV Director Gabriella Civico will be a panelist in the discussion on Citizen’s Engagement.
New European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027
The European Commission has launched the first call for proposals under the new European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027 with four areas of engagement: Promoting of inclusion and diversity; Making projects ‘greener' and encouraging environmentally sustainable and responsible behaviour among participants and participating organisations; Supporting the digital transition through projects and activities that boost digital skills, foster digital literacy and develop understanding of the risks and opportunities of digital technology; Promoting participation of young people in democratic processes and civic engagement. Find more here.
Public consultation: Updated Council Recommendation of Cross Border Mobility of Young Volunteers
Share your ideas on how EU countries can make it easier for young people taking part in volunteering projects in countries other than their own and therefore requiring cross border travel. Find more here. Deadline: 21 July 2021
Updating the 2015 European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning
The European Commission and Cedefop are currently updating the European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning that were first developed in 2009. The 2021 update of the guidelines aims at keeping the guidelines relevant in the context of current and future developments such the digital and green transitions and the Covid-19 pandemic. To support the update of the Guidelines, stakeholders and validation practitioners are invited to complete a survey, that can be found here. Deadline: 30 June 2021
Erasmus Plus and European Solidarity Corps Inclusion & Diversity Strategy 2021-2027
The Strategy helps to reach out to and support young people with fewer opportunities to engage in the Erasmus Plus and European Solidarity Corps programmes. It addresses the barriers faced by different target groups and provides an enabling framework for inclusion and diversity projects. Check it here.
Here you can check the Liaison Group Newsletter for April 2021.
EU Aid Volunteers Newsletter
The latest edition of the EU Aid volunteers newsletter is accessible here.
SALTO Newsletter
Here you can check all open calls at SALTO-YOUTH network and apply.
CULT Newsletter
European Parliament CULT Committee newsletter is available and includes details about the adoption of VIG EP Co-chair Irena Joveva’s (Renew) opinion on “Citizens’ dialogues and citizens’ participation in EU decision-making”.. The opinion explores methods to promote further engagement with EU citizens in the policy - and decision - making processes at EU level and underlines the need to improve all channels of communication and secure equal access and possibilities for citizens to understand and influence EU decision making, with a particular focus on those with fewer opportunities. Read it here.
SALTO - Volunteering & solidarity as a social capital of the city
This international online conference will promote wider and systemic social and economic dimensions and impacts of volunteering and solidarity activities in urban settings and will bring together representatives of municipalities and organisations to promote Volunteering and Solidarity Projects as tools to support solidarity in action. This activity was initiated by the City of Ljubljana and CEV member Slovenska Filantropija, and was then broadened and fine-tuned in cooperation with the Slovenian NA and European Solidarity Corps Resource Centre. More information here. Date: 18-21 May 2021 | Online, Slovenia
EESC Civil Society Prize 2021
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has opened applications for its Civil Society Prize 2021. Choosing climate action as the theme, the EESC will select the winners from creative and innovative initiatives which aim to promote a just transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. Applications can be submitted by all civil society organisations officially registered within the European Union and acting at local, regional, national or European level. The prize is also open to individuals who reside in the EU. Find more here. Deadline: 30 June 2021
Photography Contest "Realities in Transformation: Women, protagonists of change”
The third edition of the contest organized by Movement for Peace (MPDL) with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), aims to make visible actions of women, individuals or collective, that contribute to social change and the fight against machismo. The winning photograph and the 11 finalists will be published in a virtual exhibition, and between the months of September and December 2021, physical exhibitions will be held in different Spanish cities where the Movement for Peace has delegations. You can find all the information here.
UNICEF Serbia launches new online platform for volunteers
UNICEF and Young Researchers of Serbia launched an online volunteering initiative that has gathered more than 750 young volunteers from April 2020 until now. It strives to advocate and contribute to easier networking, information and volunteer involvement of young people in Serbia. Young people who want to volunteer, organizations, institutions, foundations and professionals who recognize the importance of volunteer support are invited to join. More information here.
Brussels Airlines in the search for 250 “Heroes of the pandemic”
The company has launched a campaign to look for 250 “heroes” of the coronavirus pandemic to thank those who have helped others through volunteering. The nominations can be done via the official website until 3 May, and the selected candidates will later be contacted at the end of May. Winners will receive a voucher worth €250 for a flight of their choice. Read more here.
International Prize "We are together"
The Prize invites individuals and organisations active in the field of volunteering, education, business and medicine from around the world to become laureates of the first International Prize. The goal of the Prize is to encourage citizens and organisations for their great contribution to solving important humanitarian problems. This year the Prize is dedicated to all those volunteering realities that have been and are still supporting vulnerable people during the pandemic. The theme is the “selfless contribution to the fight against the pandemic”. Find more here about conditions and participation. Deadline: July 2021
Save the date! Second session of the European Civic Academy
The European Civic Academy brings together civil society actors and academics to promote collaboration and identify priorities to enhance civic and democratic spaces in Europe. In the next edition of the Academy, there will be discussion on ‘’Dialogue between civil society and institutions: lost in translation?’’ More details soon! Date: 2 June 2021 (15:00-18:00)
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.
