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Documentation Documentation Documentation Documentation Documentation Volunteering in Europe – International exchange about concepts and benefits to society January 13-14, 2014, Hotel Aquino, Berlin Sören Hoyer . Observatory of Sociopolitical Developments in Europe Content Content Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 1 Conference Report .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Workshop 1 – Public frameworks and strategies of promoting volunteering .................................. 5 1.2 Workshop 2 – Measuring volunteering ................................................................................................ 8 1.3 Workshop 3 – Varieties of volunteer programmes on the national and European level ................ 12 1.4 Workshop 4 – Empowerment of individuals / Validating skills and qualifications ......................... 14 1.5 Workshop 5 – Promotion of volunteering as promotion of democracy .......................................... 16 1.6 Workshop 6 – Volunteering as an impulse for social innovation and social entrepreneurship ........ 18 1.7 Resume of the panel discussion .......................................................................................................... 21 1.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 23 2 Annex .................................................................................................................................................... 26 2.1 Programme of the conference ............................................................................................................ 26 2.2 List of experts ....................................................................................................................................... 35 2.3 List of participants ............................................................................................................................... 38 2.4 Volunteering in Europe – International exchange about concepts and benefits to society ............. 46 2.4.1 Welcome speech German Association for Public and Private Welfare – Michael Löher .......... 46 2.4.2 Welcome speech Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth – State Secretary Dr. Ralf Kleindiek ......................................................... 49 2.4.3 Volunteering in the EU – Its value, status quo and latest developments – John MacDonald ........................................................................................................................ 55 2.5 Workshop 1 – Public frameworks and strategies of promoting volunteering ................................ 61 2.6 Workshop 2 – Measuring volunteering .............................................................................................. 93 2.7 Workshop 3 – Varieties of volunteer programmes on the national and European level .............. 131 2.8 Workshop 4 – Empowerment of individuals / Validating skills and qualifications ....................... 159 2.9 Workshop 5 – Promotion of volunteering as promotion of democracy ........................................ 182 2.10 Workshop 6 – Volunteering as an impulse for social innovation and social entrepreneurship ...... 196 Editorial information .............................................................................................................................. 203 Page 2 Observatory of Sociopolitical Developments in Europe Preface Preface Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe Preface Dear Readers, How and why should volunteering be promoted and what role do governmental and supranational institutions play here? This and the European countries’ various approaches and perspectives were the topic of discussion at the international conference “Volunteering in Europe - International exchange about concepts and benefits to society” held in Berlin on January 13 and 14, 2014. The Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe had invited experts and decision-makers from the political and administrative arenas, civil society and science. More than 100 participants and 23 speakers from 15 European countries converged on this conference in order to exchange experiences and ideas, learn from each other and network. Following up on previous events organised by the Observatory1, the conference first focused upon a Europe-wide discussion of volunteering’s basic conditions, their European dimension in particular. The discussion then shifted to specific aspects of the social benefits of volunteering in order to find out how and at which level volunteering is to be promoted. The present report provides an overview of the conference’s most important results and will advance the Europe-wide discussion of the issues that is to follow. After some introductory remarks by Michael Löher, executive director of the German Association for Public and Private Welfare, the State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Dr. Ralf Kleindiek, outlined the new Federal Government’s plans to promote volunteering: Volunteering was lived social solidarity, so the Federal Government wanted to promote local self-organisational processes and also take up more ideas developed through volunteering. John MacDonald of the European Commission also talked about volunteering as something that holds our society together. As State Secretary Kleindiek before him, he called volunteering an expression of solidarity that has to be promoted as a central value of the EU. He referred to the consulting, encouraging and sponsoring role of the EU in and for volunteering as a policy area and emphasised that all European Years from 2010 to 2013 had been linked by a participation of citizens. This made for a number of opportunities to continue to utilise this momentum. The 1 European Conference „Volunteering in the European Union “Creating a supportive environment and attracting volunteers”, November 11-12, 2010; Expert Meeting “Active Ageing in Europe – Senior Citizens and Volunteering”, November 28, 2011: European Expert Workshop “National policies for the promotion of volunteering in the European Union. Two years after the European Year: Ways forward in the promotion of volunteering, May 27, 2013. Page 3 Observatory of Sociopolitical Developments in Europe Preface Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe Commission was willing to promote this issue in conjunction with the European Parliament2, partners from civil society and the national governments. After the speeches outlined above - and published verbatim herein- six workshops saw heated debates on various aspects of volunteering and its promotion. On the first day, three simultaneous workshops discussed the following issues: “Public framework and strategies of promoting volunteering” (WS 1), “Measuring volunteering” (WS 2) and “Varieties of volunteer programmes on the national and European level” (WS 3). The second day explicitly focused upon aspects of the social benefits of volunteering. The workshops therefore dealt with: “Empowerment of individuals/Validating skills and qualifications” (WS 4), “Promotion of volunteering as promotion of democracy” (WS 5) and “Volunteering as an impulse for social innovation and social entrepreneurship” (WS 6). The panel then discussed opportunities of and possible limits to a European and national promotion of volunteering and summarised the social benefits.3 The Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe would like to thank all the speakers, facilitators and participants for their active contribution. The lively debates have done much to make this event a real success. Let me also extend our gratitude to the interpreters, without whom such an international, trilingual conference and its documentation would not have been possible. Thanks are also due to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth for its support during our preparation of this event and for its funding. And I would also like to thank the staff of the German Association for Public and Private Welfare and the colleagues of the Observatory’s Frankfurt project team for the active support during this conference and its preparation. On behalf of the Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe (Berlin project team), Sören Hoyer 2 On December 10, 2013, the European Parliament passed a resolution on volunteering in Europe and its promotion in which it asked for a joint European approach therein (2013/2064(INI)). 3 You will find this conference’s programme and detailed workshop results below, followed by the speakers’ presentations in the workshops. Page 4 Observatory of Sociopolitical Developments in Europe 1 Conference Report – WS 1 1 Conference Report – 1.1 Workshop 1 Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe 1 Conference Report 1.1 Workshop 1: Public frameworks and strategies of promoting volunteering This workshop featured a presentation of volunteering policy approaches from Austria, Denmark and Germany and, on that basis, a discussion of what a volunteering policy is predicated upon and if and how it could be coordinated at the European level. At the beginning of the workshop, it was found that volunteering has not yet been established as a policy

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