European Volunteering Forum

Read the final report with the main outcomes and messages of the European Volunteering Forum.

Find videos with examples of good practice presented by participants of the Forum and live streams of 2 panel sessions and photos on the SALTO SEE Facebook page!

The current economic, social and political challenges that we are facing today in Europe and its neighbouring partner regions call more than ever for a stronger promotion and recognition of the benefits and impact of transnational volunteering, such as encouraging civic engagement, youth participation, active solidarity, tolerance and acceptance of diversity, intercultural awareness, European citizenship etc.

In 2016, the European Voluntary Service was also celebrating its 20^th anniversary. Over the past twenty years, around 100,000 young volunteers have offered their service within an EVS project to an organisation in another country, supported by their sending and receiving organisations in diverse social and cultural environments.

We are also approaching the mid-term evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme (2014 – 2020), and EVS as an important part of it: time to make suggestions and recommendations and develop perspectives for the future of EVS.

Based on this background, the European Volunteering Forum offered the opportunity to celebrate and promote the impact of long-term transnational volunteering on people, organisations and communities, learn from different examples of practice in the field, identify current challenges, define future perspectives and encourage networking across Europe and beyond. The specific objectives of the Forum were to:

• Raise the visibility of the relevance of transnational volunteering in Europe and its neighboring regions
• Discuss main benefits and challenges of transnational volunteering
• Share experiences and good examples of practice
• Develop perspectives for the future of transnational volunteering
• Stimulate networking among the participants and encourage new partnerships
• Celebrate 20 years of EVS

PARTICIPANTS: 50 participants from organisations involved in transnational volunteering - EVS as well as other programmes - coming from all Erasmus+ neighbouring partner regions and programme countries. 

ORGANISERS: The Forum was hosted by MOVIT, SALTO SEE and the Slovenian National Agency for Erasmus+, youth chapter, and organised jointly with the German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish National Agencies for the Erasmus+: Youth in Action Programme and the SALTO EuroMed and Eastern Europe and Caucasus Resource Centres.

Facilitators: Gisele Evrard, Anna Yeghoyan and Amr Arafa.

Rapporteur: Darko Marković