SENIOR VOLUNTEERS EXCHANGES: barriers to volunteering and conditions of success Davide Di Pietro
Senior Volunteers Exchange Network (SEVEN) Grundtvig Different stakeholders- 29 partners: Regional/local entities, NGOs, educational Institutions, research Institutions. Network runs for 3 years October 2007 September 2010 Coordination: LUNARIA www.lunaria.org Our experience in transnational voluntary service for senior citizens: 2000-2001 European Exchange Programme for Older Volunteers (DG ESA) 2001-2003 Mobility 55: Mobility in Europe and Active Citizenship for senior volunteers (DG EAC Grundtvig) 2003-2005 Still Active! Performing Voluntary Service after 55 years ( Grundtvig old. (DG EAC 2004-2005 Teaming up! An Exchange Programme for older volunteer (DG ESA ENEA in co-operation with 15 local and ( governments regional In all about 300 volunteers from 15 EU countries from 2 weeks to 2 months
Target Groups European institutions for the creation of a pilot exchange ( EAC programme (outcome the GIVE programme of DG Local Governments for the creation of bilateral or multilateral exchange programmes Organisations of the civil society either dealing with social issues and already working with senior volunteers at local level, either dealing with international voluntary service (that address mainly youth) to extend their activities for young people to senior citizens trying to favour cross-generations exchanges. Info www.seven-network.eu network.eu
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 in 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
Volunteering abroad = Voluntary Service Voluntary service as other volunteering activities: own free-will, choice and motivation, without concern for financial gain. benefits the individual volunteer, communities and society as a whole. vehicle for individuals and associations to address human, social or environmental needs and concerns. A specifically: full time project-based voluntary activities at home or abroad, long-term (6-12 moths) or short term (3 weeks to 3 months). the volunteer benefits from a personal, social and intercultural learning process.
Organisational issues Possibilities already 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 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
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 ( 70 Health problems: impacting again on age groups (under Work schedule: no paid leave for volunteering...impacting especially on the age groups ( 55-60 (over 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 ( stereotypes curiosity/distrust on other cultures (strong No prerequisite: mainly language, but also not feeling skilled for certain tasks...impacting on social
Conditions for success and the winner is...
Conditions for success for organisations of the civil society in the social, cultural, environmental field and local governments Skilled staff Language and tutoring skills in the staff Organisation used to deal with volunteers Hosting-oriented attitude: Volunteer for a limited time and from abroad seen as a resource Capability of the organisation to put itself into discussion Understanding of the educational potential of the experience Capability to ensure extra resources: Good network at local level Especially for local governments Interest in involving their senior citizens at international level
Conditions for success for volunteers ( women Single (widow status, mainly Married couples Middle-high class Knowledge of a foreign language Brilliant professional background Retired from work
Typical still active volunteer Female between 60 and 70 (ratio female 70%, male ( 30% ( 41% ) Single (45%) or living with one person ( 88% ) Retired from work ( 55% ) With acceptable knowledge of a foreign language ( them Belonging to Medium or high class (totality of ( 55% inh. Coming from big cities (more than 100,000 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
...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?
General benefits registered by this action It improves social cohesion and social dialogue It shows the importance of non formal and informal educational approach It considers seniors as an active and positive category It has a European-wide approach involving at the same time the local level It forecasts different actors in the social field with a networking aim It enhances active citizenship It reinforces ties between citizens and institutions
Personally I cannot evaluate if and how much, this experience was useful for the others (maybe the responsible persons of the project can say that better than I can) but as regard my personal development, I consider this experience definitely positive both under the profile of social relationships and that of the motivation to learn new things Italian volunteer involved in a project in Austria... I wonder if it is only a matter of involving adults who are out of the labour market but still own good physical and mental abilities, in order not to let them feel out of our society; isn t there also the will to improve the integration among different cultures and generations? Italian volunteer involved in project in Germany
. In my bag, indeed, I had a bit of everything: my small espresso coffee machine, tins of biological coffee and barley, a box of home prepared artichokes, another one of very precious saffron as a present for my host and other nonsense stuff to compensate the terrifying truth: I can t speak any French, I know nothing about computers! What will they do with me? What will I do with them? Italian volunteer involved in a project in France
Thank you! More information : Davide Di Pietro www.lunaria.org www.seven-network.eu dipietro@lunaria.org Lunaria Via Buonarroti 39 I-00185 Roma Italy