In modern society, volunteering is marked as one of key promoters for the development of social capital. Countries with developed democracies recognize different organizations and institutions which are promoting the support to voluntary engagement of citizens for common good. Volunteering can be defined in different ways, but it is non-paid, non-profit and freely chosen action by the individual i.e. volunteer. Because of the positive epithets that are associated with volunteering, it is needed to encourage youth to start volunteering. Volunteering helps young people to acquire work habits, familiarizes them with variety of jobs for their possible professional career, enables them to enrich their resumes and helps them to find employment. It also brings many privileges and can be a crucial factor for later employment. Volunteering is a selfless act because you give your time and good will to someone else. Volunteering activities unlock new possibilities for using knowledge and gaining new skills and virtues. At the same time, it enables boosting your own creativity and ideas in a strong spirit of good will and progress for society. Because of all that, we believe that volunteering is the best way to spend free time, to improve existing or discover new skills, especially in time when it is difficult to find employment. We believe that in today’s world every opportunity for additional training and education must be seized. At this moment, volunteering is the best way for satisfaction of all thing mentioned above. With this project, we want to encourage youth for volunteering, not just because of all the benefits, but also because of obligations they have as volunteers.

Overall goals of the project:

• Promotion of young people’s active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular
• Development of solidarity and promotion of tolerance among young people, in particular in order to foster social cohesion in the European Union
• Fostering mutual understanding between youth from different countries
• Contribution to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organizations in the youth field
• Promotion of European cooperation in the youth field.

Priorities:

1. European citizenship
2. Participation of young people
3. Cultural diversity
4. Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities
5. Youth unemployment
6. Creativity and entrepreneurship
7. Learning dimension
   1. Quality use of free time
   2. Communication in foreign languages
   3. Communication in mother tongue
   4. Digital literacy and skills in Multimedia and IT technologies
   5. Learning to learn
   6. Social competences
   7. Civic competences
   8. Ability to work in group and acquiring leadership skills through volunteering
   9. Cultural awareness and expression
8. Intercultural dimension
   1. Increase young people’s positive awareness of other cultures
   2. Support dialogue and intercultural encounters with other young people from different backgrounds and cultures
   3. Help to prevent and combat prejudice, racism and all attitudes leading to exclusion
   4. Develop sense of tolerance and understanding of diversity
9. European dimension
   1. Foster young people’s sense of European citizenship and helps them to understand their role as part of the present and future Europe
   2. Reflects on common concern for issues within European society, such as racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, drug abuse
   3. Theme is linked to EU topics, such as the EU enlargement, the roles and activities of European institutions, the EU’s action in matters affecting young people
   4. Debate on founding principles of the EU, i.e. the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
      

       

    

 

Lead partner:

Nezavisna udruga mladih, Lepoglava, Hrvatska

Partners:

Noorsooühing Rõuge Noorteklubi (Rõuge Youth Club), Rõuge, Estonija

DeM Turkey, Eskisehir, Tursk

ΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΜΗ ΚΕΡΔΟΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ (Α.Μ.Κ.Ε) ΙΑΣΙΣ (IASIS NGO), Atena, Grčka

ASOCIACIJA “AKTYVISTAI”, Kaunas, Litva

From Youth to Youth – Malta, Zurrieq, Malta