Austria [Republik Österreich ] research partner centre PROLOKA Giovanna Roiatti Centro Servizi Volontariato Friuli Venezia Giulia Andreas Woppmann Dorina Trinklein ProLoka 97 COUNTRYFACTSHEET PARTNER C ENTRE [CONTACT] pro Loka proLoka country fact sheet health care system is regulated by social law. In terms of legislation Alois-Schrottstr. 12 and execution, the public health services are a federal matter, but the 6020 Innsbruck - Austria ■ Population 2007: 8,315,379 responsibility does not lie exclusively with the Federal Ministry of tel. +43.512.200.248 tel. +43.650.2646160 Health and Women. As far as the hospital system is concerned, com - [email protected] ■ Area 83, 872 sq. km petences are shared between the federal level and the provinces. www.proloka.org Based on the income, costs are remunerated through obligatory ■ Population density 2007: 99 contributions and by the government. It is also possible to take out extra private insurance policy. A ranking of the public health system proLoka is a project platform and network to exchange knowledge and competences between people, institutions and cultures. This ■ System of government Parliamentary representative democracy conducted by the WHO (World Health Organization) in 2000 places exchange seeks to improve quality of life and personal development of everyone involved in the projects. The exchange of knowledge and th 2, 3 Austria at the 10 position from 191 examined countries. competences takes place in form of projects set in different fields. The superior fields at the moment are health, solidarity, culture and civilisa - ■ European elections 18 European parliamentarians tion, education and work. ■ Level of education ■ Social security and welfare system 20-24 years old who have completed The name proLoka is based on two words of the languages Latin and Sanskrit. “pro” meaning “for” and “loka” equivalent to “the world” The Austrian system of social security is characterised by a mixture secondary schooling 2001: 63.4% represent the overall goal of our projects: to contribute meaningful activities to this world. of centralised and decentralised elements, with benefits prevailing at the federal level. Most of the social services, childcare facilities, social ■ Immigration rate 2007: 10% Reference projects assistance and parts of the health care system are regional responsi - bilities. In 2005, 28.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) was ■ Growth rate 2007: 0.4% 2008 ongoing: Women Skills Training Centre in Bagh, Kashmir, Pakistan used for social protection. Thus, it is above the EU average. Birth rate per 100 population: 2007: 0.92 (in co-operation with the Austrian Development Organisation and the Austrian NGO HOPE87). Almost all employees (more than 90%) are subject to a collec - Death rate per 100 population: 2007: 0.90 tive agreement. Labour law supports the statutory entitlements of 2007 ongoing: Canchas, international art and media project for cultural exchange. employees to family and work balance as well as measures against ■ Employment rate a number of social risks. The social partners are key workers. The 15-64 years old (2007) 2007-2008: School Improvement Booklet for Kashmir, Pakistan for UNICEF (in co-operation with Czech NGO ADRA). chambers of labour and economy are statutory representations of (total - male - female) 71.4% - 78.4% - 64.4% interest. The social partners strive for consensual solutions, thus 55-64 years old (2007) 2006-2008: Public events on Pakistan in Austria/Pakistan 1 often preparing the ground for legislation. (total - male - female) 38.6% - 49.8% - 28.0% (various information slide shows on the following topics: Kashmir, relief work in Kashmir, culture in Pakistan). ■ Public health system ■ Unemployment rate 2005 - ongoing: Danka, a cultural network for Pakistan (in cooperation with local partners). The Austrian health system is open to all citizens and is provided 15-64 years old by the government. Access to the individual services of the public (total - male - female) 6.2% - 6.5% - 6.0% 2005 - 2007: Direkthilfe Earthquake Relief Kashmir. 1 Bundesministerium für Soziales und Konsumentenschutz (2007) Social Protection in Austria, Vienna, Ministry of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection. 2005: EILSP - medical EU project proposal, in co-operation with Universities in England, Germany, India and Austria. 2 See Public Health in Austria, 2005. 98 3 See The World Health Report, 2000. 2005: Medical Project India - MOU between Medical Universities in Chandigarh, India and Innsbruck, Austria. 99 index - Austria Glossary p. 102 3 Fiscal policies 109 3.1 Motivations and barriers 121 Voluntary Social Year 135 4 List of laws and regulations 110 3.2 Needs and challenges 122 Volunteer Centre Tirol 137 1 Definitions 102 1.1 Volunteer 102 1.2 Volunteering activity 102 Volunteers involving organisations 111 Representation Development policies 139 1.3 Voluntary organisation 103 and coordination bodies 123 1.4 Volunteer support centre 103 1 Organisational forms 111 1 Public incentives 139 2 Volunteers on volunteering (interviews) 103 1.1 Associations 111 1 Federations and umbrella 1.1 Voluntaria Award 139 1.2 Foundations and Funds 112 organisations 123 1.2 Austrian Volunteer Passport 1.3 Cooperatives 113 2 Austrian Council for Voluntary Work 123 and Volunteering Activity Report 139 Historical overview 104 1.4 Companies 113 3 Pool of Volunteer Centres Austria 124 1.3 www.freiwilligenweb.at 139 1.5 Organisations by field of activity 114 4 Networking (interviews) 124 2 Civil society initiatives 140 1 Background, evolution 1.5.1 Disaster relief and emergency services 114 3 On infrastructure for volunteering and distinctive traits 104 1.5.2 Social services 114 (interviews and questionnaires) 140 2 Roots: before 1900 104 1.5.3 Different societal fields 115 Support bodies 125 4 Strategic goals 141 3 The brief century: 1900 - 2000 104 2 Rules and functioning 115 4.1 Implementation of the Draft Laws 141 4 Where we stand: 2001 - 2008 105 3 Relationship with public sector 115 1 Support measures (questionnaires) 125 4.2 Implementation of Volunteers´ Action 5 Volunteering now (interviews) 105 3.1 Overview 115 2 Volunteer support centres 125 Programme 141 3.2 From our point of view 2.1 List of volunteer support centres 126 4.3 Image campaign for the valorisation (interviews and questionnaires) 117 of volunteering 141 Legal framework 107 5 European perspective (interviews) 141 Focus on support bodies 1 Overview of laws and regulations 107 Data overview 118 (questionnaires) 128 1.1 Historical overview of the legal framework 107 List of persons interviewed 143 1.2 The new Associations Law 108 1 Research and statistics highlights 118 Help & Hobby Volunteer Centre Salzburg 129 1.3 Draft Law on Voluntary Work 108 2 Economic and statistical indicators 120 Honorary Office Market Vienna 131 Bibliography 144 1.4 Special Directive for a Voluntary Social Year 109 3 Of volunteers and organisations Independent State Volunteer Centre 100 2 Participation in public policy making 109 (interviews) 121 Upper Austria 133 Internet resources 146 101 Glossary VOLUNTEERINGACROSSEUROPE 1.3 Voluntary organisation ing and communication, volunteer projects, training and further train - ing, as well as coordination, lobbying and public relations. 7 The term voluntary organisation ( Freiwilligenorganisation ) includes all kinds of local authorities (federal, state, municipality and federation of municipalities), other legal persons of public and private 2 Volunteers on volunteering (interviews) 1 Definitions law, as well as associations of individuals without legal entity. A capa - V OLUNTEERING A CROSS E UROPE ble association of individuals can also be a majority of individuals The interviewees call upon the State to give guidelines and basic pooled together for durable general advancement. An organisation infrastructure on volunteering to strengthen people’s feeling of respon - 1.1 Volunteer has to demonstrate a minimum of organisational frame to meet the sibility for each other. Since 2001 International Year of Volunteers (IYV), criterions of a voluntary organisation. 6 the State has tried to give some guidelines by arranging its own political A Volunteer ( Freiwilliger ) is an individual achieving benefits in an organisational framework without financial gain field on volunteering, coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and for the promotion of general public, but without being in the frame of any professional education. Training and fur - Consumer Protection. Furthermore, the Council for Voluntary Work was ther trainings as a volunteer also constitute part of the definition. 4 1.4 Volunteer support centre constituted in 2003, composed of members from Federal Ministries and NGOs of all societal areas and is currently in its second mandate. Its A volunteer support centre ( Freiwilligenzentrum ) is the first con - commissions devised a definition of volunteering closely linked to the 1.2 Volunteering activity tact point for people willing to engage in volunteering and for organ - following idea of one interviewee on volunteering: “Volunteering is a isations providing voluntary work. It can be characterised as the first form of voluntary activity which occurs outside ones´ own family or own According to “Volunteers Action Programme” from the Austrian Council for Voluntary Work ( Österreichischer Rat address for both sides on questions regarding volunteering. Main social surroundings. In contrast, secondary volunteering, such as neigh - für Freiwilligenarbeit ), volunteering activity