Volunteer! Make a Difference": Launch of the European Year of Volunteering
On the 2nd of December, the European Commission officially launched the European Year of Volunteering 2011. After almost 3 years of commitment from Scouting, and other civil society organisations, we finally start seeing the results.
This year is our year to recognize, reward volunteers active at all levels in Scouting. Let seize the opportunities!
On the 2nd of December, the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Mrs Reding, with the Member of the European Parliament, Marian Harkin and Mr Delizee, Belgium’s federal Secretary of State for Social affairs from the EU presidency launched the Year, calling from a strong support from all levels, especially local and regional. Mrs Harkin put a great emphasize on the work done by Civil Society Organisations to get the year proclaimed and called on all volunteers to own the year! Mrs Reding actually recognized the role of Scouting in society as a strong volunteering movement.
Scouting has been at the starting point, with other civil society organisations, to ask for a European Year of Volunteering, to create the momentum, the space to take the time to recognize and reward volunteering but also address the challenges faced by volunteers and their organisations.
Scouting, and Guiding, want to use the year to
- working together to maximize every opportunity during the Year to raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering;
- get volunteer organisations empowered
- improving the quality of volunteering;
- rewarding and recognizing volunteer activities
- create a more enabling environment for volunteering.
To have more information, to follow the year but also to contribute you can visit:
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