Learn, Volunteer, Share

Objective was to establish quality regional/European cooperation and networking on planning and implementation of international voluntary workcamps and youth educational exchanges.

DURATION: 12 months
CALL: Visegrad+
APPLICANT: SEEYN Secretariat
PARTNERS: Beyond Barriers (ALB), Youth Information Agency (BIH), DC Nove nade(BIH), Youth Council of Vlasenica (BIH), Youth Council of Jablanica(BIH),  Eco Leonardo(BIH),  Youth Peace Group Danube (CRO) Inex SDA, Young researchers (SRB), Youth for Participation Association (HUN), Youth Cultural Centre Bitola (MAC), ADP ZID (MNE), Stowarzyszenie Promocji Wolontariatu (POL) C.A.R.D.O. (SLK)

No OF SEEYN MEMBERS INVOLVED: 8 out of 12

Objective: The overall objective of the project was to establish quality regional/European cooperation and networking on planning and implementation of international voluntary workcamps and youth educational exchanges among CSOs at level of WB countries V4 countries.

Achivements:
1. Capacity building training for voluntary camp leaders and co-leaders
SEEYN Secretariat organized 7-days Leader Training Seminar for voluntary camp leaders and co-leaders aiming to develop their capacities for planning and implementation of 10 international educational voluntary camps. 20 participants, including 3 trainers and support staff participated on the LTS, from 2nd till 9th of June 2013 in Ecological Centre, Sremski Karlovci, Serbia.
The Leader Training Seminar "Learn Volunteer Share" was the training aimed to provide leadership, teamwork and intercultural skills, competences, knowledge and experience for future young leaders of the Summer Educational and Volunteering Workcamps within the project "Learn Volunteer Share" coordinated by South East European Youth Network and funded by Visegrad Fund. The LTS supported facilitation of know-how among SEEYN member organisations and its V4 partners, in both directions, needed for quality preparation and implementation of this particular volunteer activity.
2. International education voluntary camps
Project envisaged support to at least 10 educational international voluntary camps, but at the end project partners organized 16 such activities. The reason for such is increase that some of the partners had smaller budget proposal so it was possible to support more work camps. This was especially important in Bosnia and Herzegovina that did not have work camps for several years and in 2013 it had 4 thanks to LVS support.
These camps were activities implemented in period 7 - 15 days. Each camp gathered 10 - 15 volunteers from Western Balkans, V4 countries and other European countries. The camps took place between 15.6. and 1.10.2013 in all partners countries. The camps have been promoted among the partners, but also through Alliance of European Voluntary Service network that covers huge number of young volunteers across the Europe.
General themes of camps have been various, such as environment, social inclusion, culture, art, music, rural development, youth education and heritage. Each camp had educational component for volunteers participating at camps on themes important in aspect of EU approximation: European citizenship, Volunteering, Intercultural learning and Social inclusion.
Each camp contributed to local community where it took place. Many of the camps took place in remote and rural areas or targeted excluded groups. Most of the partners actively involved local community and many of them got various support (co-funding) from the communities. The camps facilitated intercultural learning process among volunteers aiming to break down prejudices and create better understanding of realities and similarities in Europe and the World WB and V4 countries.
3.CEV Symposium on Cross – Border Volunteering in Sarajevo
Results achieved during the implementation of international voluntary camps have been promoted at European Symposium dedicated to cross-border volunteering organised by European Volunteer Centre and SEEYN. Symposium took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 03 – 04 October 2013October 2013. Symposium will gathered 150 experts and staff of local, national and European level organisations active in volunteering. Symposium has been supported by European Commission; The European Year of Citizens Alliance; Visegrad Fund; Bosnian Cultural Centre. http://www.cev.be/sarajevo-2013/

The main aim of the event was to initiate a debate on Cross–Border Volunteering in the European Year of Citizens – What is it for? Promoting European Citizenship or Increasing Employability? through the presentation of different thematic examples, that channelled the conclusions into the wider debate in the European Year of Citizens 2013.
European Volunteer Centre organizes two Conferences per year in different cities in Europe in order to increase high level debate on different questions concerning volunteering in Europe. SEEYN is one of the main organizations in South East Europe that has long-term experience in organizing cross – border exchanges of young people all over the world. Hosting the CEV Policy Conference “Cross – Border Volunteering in the European Year of Citizens – What is it for”, was an excellent opportunity for SEEYN to promote its long standing work on international initiatives and exchanges among the biggest actors in volunteer world.

The Conference programme was create for two working days including welcome address, keynote address, marketplace, reception dinner, plenary sessions, parallel workshop and reflective debate on the key question of the Conference: Cross–Border Volunteering In the European Year of Citizens – What is it for? Promoting European Citizenship or Increasing Employability?

The reception night was intended for networking and CEV hosted the official launch of the European Volunteering Capital Competition. The European Volunteering Capital Competition aims to promote volunteering at local level by giving recognition to municipalities which support and strengthen partnerships with volunteer centres and volunteer involving organisations in their communities. Sponsored by the Visegrad Fund the event saw presentations from the candidates, including videos, describing their work and activities supporting volunteering.

On the second day of the Conference the scene was set in a plenary session followed by six parallel workshops on: humanitarian aid and development, civil protection, shared learning, European values and building citizenship, reconciliation/ building communities, and gaining skills/enhancing employability.
The Conference was concluded with the reflective debate addressing the questions of the ultimate purpose and value of cross-border volunteering beyond the broad themes focused on in the parallel sessions. What came as a conclusion on cross – border experience by the conference participants was that cross – border volunteering is: dialogue, performance, trust, training, inclusiveness, value, impact, opportunities, respect, acknowledgment, empowerment, partnership, movement, exchange, solidarity, inspiration, cooperation, understanding, people and knowledge.

SEEYN promoted project “Learn, volunteer, share” and support from International Visegrad Fund during the event.