SENIOR VOLUNTEERS EXCHANGES

Background  Change of demographic trends and an important ageing of population  Risk of permanent social exclusion due to ageing.  The creation of a European society, active at all ages, needs a strategy that allows seniors to take part to social life also after the exit from the labour market.  Seniors represent a richness not enough enhanced in terms of experiences and acquired skills  THE GOAL AT INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL WAS TO INFLUENCE THE POLICIES IN THESE FIELDS IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP, SOCIAL COHESION AND ENHANCEMENT OF NON FORMAL EDUCATION

Past Experiences European pilot projects dealing with exchanges of senior volunteers carried out in the past 5 years:  2001  “European Exchange Programme for Older Volunteers”, funded by DG Employment and Social Affairs: 140 senior volunteers from 8 European countries (Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) were exchanged in The objective of this project was to promote the cross-national transfer of knowledge in voluntary work   “Mobility 55”, funded by European Commission - DG Education and Culture: 40 seniors from 5 countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) volunteered abroad in The objective of this project was to offer an opportunity for intercultural learning and active citizenship.

  “Still active”, funded by DG Education and Culture: about 60 seniors from 7 EU countries (Austria, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and the UK) volunteered abroad in The objective of this project was to develop and test a pre-departure training scheme. This project received the golden award for best Grundtvig project by the EC  “Teaming Up!”, funded by DG Employment and Social Affairs: 118 senior volunteers, from 6 countries (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the UK) were exchanged in The objective of this project was to promote bilateral relations between towns and regions through senior volunteers, acting as “ambassadors” for and within town twinning partnerships.

Organisational issues On one side we gathered all the projects that at local level could host one or more senior volunteers from abroad and made up a catalogue to list all the projects. On the other hand we recruited, in different ways, senior volunteers who chose a project they liked on the catalogue. Possibilities experimented: - Volunteer placed on an individual basis in a project - Couple of volunteers (friends or married) placed together in a project - Teams of 5 volunteers placed in the same project - Senior and Junior (EVS) volunteers placed together in the same project.

The actors involved  We managed to attract the attention, receive support and involve at different levels:  The European Commission D.G. Employment and Social Affairs and D.G. Education and Culture  Regional and Local Governments (as sending and/or hosting organisations), in many cases, they run projects that involve local senior volunteers with the main aim of enhancing social cohesion.  Organisations of the civil society active in the social field (i.e. community based orgs)  Seniors (i. e. any citizen over 50 years old who wants to be a volunteer)‏

The “educational” package proposal  A pre-departure seminar dealing with intercultural issues and general preparation to the experience  A period of voluntary service in a different European country to support the work of community based organisations (2 weeks to 2 months)‏  An evaluation meeting  Guidance to perform voluntary service at home or be committed in the social field  In which sense we talk about “education”?

The educational features. Being in a learning process  Volunteering abroad, including its preparatory and follow-up stages, represents a full non-formal education experience  Intercultural Learning  Managing and recognising prejudices and stereotypes  Education to diversity  Development of personal skills  *** Ability to listen to other people  *** Ability to managing conflicts *** Ability to work in a team  *** ….  The learning process runs on a bilateral basis so it applies to the volunteers but also to all those who work and leave in the hosting local community. People are not always aware of the educational potentialities of such an experience

Requested skills: none!

FAQ  How can I “help” doing something if I am not skilled and have to learn everything  Why should I go abroad to take care, say, of children far away from here  Don’t they have their volunteers at local level  In this perspective,voluntary service is not only a way to help others and increase social cohesion but also an educational tool. It does not represent in any case a substitution of the social services provided by professionals in the private and public sector

Typical “still active” volunteer  Female between 60 and 70 (ratio female 70%, male 30%)‏  Single (45%) or living with one person (41%)‏  Retired from work (88%)‏  With acceptable knowledge of a foreign language (55%)‏  Belonging to Medium or high class (totality of them)‏  Coming from big cities (more than 100,000 inh. 55%)‏  Data from research report “Long-effects of trans-national exchange of senior volunteers on aorganisations and senior volunteers” Institut fuer Soziale Infrastruktur – Frankfurt for the SEVEN network

Obstacles “when things start, obstacles may stand in our way, but that's our life after all...”

 Obstacles for organisations of the civil society in the social, cultural, environmental field and local governments  Lack of skills:  Lack of language skills in the staff  Lack of tutoring skills among the staff  Exclusively performance-oriented attitude:  Volunteers for a limited time and from abroad seen as a burden  Failure to see the educational potential of the experience also for the organisation  Shortage of resources:  Hosting and feeding people costs  Especially for local governments  Weak network at local level

Obstacles for volunteers  Family responsibilities: nephews, cats, husbands, plants...impacting especially on the duration...and the gender  Health problems: impacting again on age groups (under 70)‏  Work schedule: no paid leave for volunteering...impacting especially on the age groups (over 55-60)‏  Money issues: see above if workers, if pensioners shortage of money...impacting especially on the social groups  Cultural issues: never travel, don't start now – why should I volunteer abroad? - no curiosity/distrust on other cultures (strong stereotypes)‏  No prerequisite: mainly language, but also not feeling skilled for certain tasks...impacting on social

...so what about the so-called “disadvantaged” categories ?  Senior citizens are educators  Are they ready to deal with a dramatically fast-changing world?  Don't they need educational support? 

 Length of the project: October 2007 – September 2010 (3 years)‏  Partnership composed by 29 partner in 12 European countries  Co-ordination  ·Lunaria  

 International Networks  · Alliance of the European Voluntary Service Organisations (about 50 national organisations)‏  · AVSO - Association of Voluntary Service Organisations (about 30 national and international organisations)‏  Local Governements  DIstrict Offenbach (DE)‏  Municipality of Ferrara (IT)‏  Municipality of Lleida (ES)‏  Municipality of Roma (IT)‏  Senior office – Municipality of Graz (AT)‏  Senior office – Municipality of Raeren (BE)‏

 Educational institutions  University of Lancaster - Department of Continuing Education (UK)‏  ZAWIW - Zentrum für Allgemeine Wissenschaftliche  Weiterbildung der Universität Ulm (DE)‏   Research Institute  ISIS - Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur (DE)

 NGOs mainly dealing with voluntary service  · Red Cross Bulgaria - (BG)  · Red Cross Austria - (AT)  · FCEI Federation of Evangelic Churches in Italy (IT)  Legambiente (IT)‏  Teatro Nucleo Ferrara - (IT)  Concordia - (FR)  · UNAREC Etudes et Chantier - (FR)‏  CSV-RSVP - Retired Senior Volunteers Programme Scotland (UK)  · Diaconia Year Estonia (EE)‏  · Estyes - (EE)  · Evangelische Akademie Wien (AT)  · Evangelische Freiwilligendienste für junge Menschen FSJ (DE)  · EWAC Elderly Women's Activities Centre (LT)‏  · GSM Youth Centre Service - (TR)  · IBG Internationale Begegnung in Gemeinschaftsdiensten e. V. (DE)  · SEEDS SEE beyonD borderS (IS)‏  · Wiener Hilfswerk - (AT)

 Target Groups  European institutions – for the creation of a pilot exchange programme. Actually managed to get the SVP: Senior Volunteering Program since last year. programmes. Ad hoc projects developed in the town twinning framework  Local Governments – for the creation of bilateral or multilateral exchange programmes. Ad hoc projects developed in the town twinning framework  Organisations dealing with international voluntary service to extend their activities to senior citizens and not only for young people, trying to favour cross-generations exchanges.  Info

What SEVEN offers

 ACTIVE – Active Citizenship Training Initiative for Volunteers in Europe  Rome 25th – 29th January 2010 Day by day programme

What SEVEN offers

Thank you! More information Lunaria Via Buonarroti 39 I Roma Italy