VERSO INVITATION 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTEERING FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, MOBILIZATION, SOCIAL INCLUSION & QUALITY OF LIFE

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1 INVITATION 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTEERING FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, MOBILIZATION, SOCIAL INCLUSION & QUALITY OF LIFE OCTOBER 2013 AARHUS UNIVERSITY, CAMPUS EMDRUP COPENHAGEN, DENMARK VERSO VOLUNTEERS FOR EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT

2 THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTEERING FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, MOBILIZATION, SOCIAL INCLUSION & QUALITY OF LIFE The First International Conference on Volunteering for Youth Employment, Mobilization, Social Inclusion & Quality of Life, is held on October 2013 at Aarhus University, Campus Emdrup, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Conference is an open event in connection with EU OPEN DAYS. (Read more at KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Daniel Schugurensky, Professor, Arizona State University, USA Jan Urban Sandal, Fil. Dr. Norway Xavier Ücar, Professor, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain Thomas Bøje, Professor, Roskilde University, Denmark Lars Skov Henriksen, Professor, Aalborg University, Denmark Niels Rosendal Jensen, Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark Nick Stanhope, CEO, We are what we do, United Kingdom Vibe Klarup Voetmann, Chairman of the national Council for Volunteering, Denmark

3 ABOUT THE CONFERENCE Volunteering is on the agenda not only in the national states, but also in the EU. One part of the renewed interest is often linked to budget cuts, implying that volunteers have to match the demands of a welfare state under erosion. Volunteers should simply take over the tasks which paid work cannot meet. The economic recession since 2007/08 would do as an explanation. On the contrary, volunteering could be interpreted as a continuing modus vivendi, meaning that developmental work embracing volunteers and professionals has been seen as the main vehicle for social services, integration of minorities, and integration in the labor market, local cultural institutions, and lifelong learning. The intention is to consider quality of life as well as a number of indirect outcomes of voluntary work. The conference will deal with contradictions such as: Neo-liberal economy has reduced society to an agglomeration of individuals rationally pursuing their interests. Municipalities are under a heavy pressure; they have to be efficient and effective and they have to cut costs. Shifting from being a citizen to become a costumer people ask what s in it for me? Such challenges are profound for researchers, professionals and citizens. Contributions aim at discussing and theorizing about that situation. Theorizing is a central issue; nonetheless, examples of good practices will be a further and important part of the conference. Eventually, perspectives for the future activities are presented. The approaches may be economic, moral, political, social, cultural or multi-dimensional. However, their common aim is to produce sustainable and collective goods via innovation and cooperation. In addition the approaches may vary between more individual in one end of a continuum to and collective or organizational at the other end. Some may emphasize economic outcomes such a jobs or education/training for jobs; others may open new social spaces for young people needing further competencies. Whatever the rationale might be, voluntary work aims at enhancing common quality of life. In other words, we do not expect that voluntary work can be defined as this and only this effort. The conference is a two days forum for discussions on theoretical, methodological and practices of voluntarism. The Conference invites researchers, PhD-students and practitioners to share their insights and experiences.

4 PRICE AND REGISTRATION The Conference is an open event in connection with EU OPEN DAYS. 2 day conference Conference fee: 2 day conference, dinner inklusive 25 % VAT DKK (280 Euro) till 23 September, 2013 Conference fee: 2 day conference, dinner inclusive 25 % VAT 2500 DKK (333 Euro) after 24 September, 2013 Only 25 october Conference fee: 25 October only DKK (without Networking dinner). Conference fee 25 October only - Special price for students and volunteers - 400DKK (without Networking dinner). Deadline for abstract submission: 30 September, Send abstracts to Iben Nørgaard: ibno@dpu.dk Registration for the conference: Contact person Anette Eriksen aeri@dpu.dk

5 PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME Friday, 25 October, 2013 Volunteering International Perspectives Registration & Coffee/Tea Opening by Head of Department, Hanne Løngreen, Aarhus University Presentation of the VERSO Conference, background & program by Niels Rosendal Jensen, Assciated Professor, Department of Education, AU Presentation of the Danish Charter for Cooperation between the Civil Society and the Public Sector 2013 by Vibe Klarup Voetman, Chairman of the National Council for Volunteering Mobilization for Social Inclusion : Xavier Ücar, Professor, AUB Voluntary informal learning in the US : Daniel Schugurensky, professor Arizona University Lunch with coffee Marked for Exchange of Experiences among INTERREG IVC & national projects on good practices on volunteering and Employment, combined with research poster presentations Keynote - Rethinking the Concept of Voluntarism by Nick Stanhope, CEO of the British

6 organisation: We Are What We Do Parallel sessions Workshop on Social Mobilization Workshop on Cost-Benefit Analysis of Volunteering Workshop on Policy Framework and Legal Complexity in the field of Voluntarism Workshop on Voluntary Informal Learning Workshop on Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Round table discussion on Volunteering and Employment based on recommendations identified in the workshops Closure of the day recommendations for policy & research to be carried forward Conference Banquet for participants, who has registered for two conference days Saturday 26. October 2013 Volunteering Research Perspectives Citizenship & Voluntarism : Thomas Bøje, Professor RUC Paper discussions in 4-7 tracks (of 12 minutes pr. paper) with coffee/tea break included Lunch with Coffee/tea XX Jan Urban Sandal, Norway The Danish Research Network Ambitions for future research: Lars Skov Henriksen, Professor Aalborg University

7 Closing remarks & recommendations for research