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 ExperiencesEuropean pilot projects dealing with exchanges of senior volunteers carried out in the past 5 years:

20012001 “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 2001. The objective of this project was to promote the cross-national transfer of knowledge in voluntary work

2002-20032002-2003 “Mobility 55”, funded by European Commission - DG Education and

Culture: 40 seniors from 5 countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) volunteered abroad in 2002. The objective of this project was to offer an opportunity for intercultural learning and active citizenship.

2004-20052004-2005 “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 2004. 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 2000-2006 by the EC

20052005 “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 2005. 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 educatorsAre 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 www.lunaria.org  

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.

Local Governments – for the creation of bilateral or multilateral exchange programmes. Ad hoc projects programmes. Ad hoc projects developed in the town twinning frameworkdeveloped 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 www.seven-network.eu

What SEVEN offers

What SEVEN offers

ACTIVE – Active Citizenship Training Initiative for Volunteers in Europe

Rome 25th – 29th January 2010 Day by day programme

Monday 25th January Tuesday 26th January Wednesday 27th January Thursday 28th January

Friday 29th January

Morning Session

9.30–12.30

Session 1

Davide Di

Pietro - Lunaria

Session 3

Davide Di

Pietro – Lunaria

Session 5

Gertraud Daye

Seniorenbuero

Graz

Session 7

Rory Daly University of Lancaster

Session 9

A Rabuiti

Municip.Ferrara

General Introduction to senior volunteers exchanges

Preparation of hosting organizations

Stereotypes and prejudices on senior citizens

Preparing your volunteers

Local governments and networking

Lunch

Afternoon Session

14.30-17.30

Session 2

Dietmar Eisenhammer

Session 4

Paolo Maddonni - Legambiente

Session 6

Carmen Stadelhofer University of Ulm

Session 8

Italian National Agency LLP

Session 10

Horacio Czertok

Theory and Practice of Voluntary Service

Senior volunteers and intercultural learning

Use of internet in voluntary work abroad

SVP and Funding opportunities

Non verbal communication

What SEVEN offers

Thank you!More informationwww.lunaria.orgwww.seven-network.eudipietro@lunaria.orgLunariaVia Buonarroti 39I-00185 Roma Italy