Projects > EVS at CEV
EVS at CEV
| ***There are currently no open EVS placements at CEV*** |
One of the CEV’s commitments is to bring the European dimension of volunteering closer to its members and partners, and through them, to local people. Throughout its work, CEV has become aware of the need of its members and partners as well as all volunteers to actively engage in the promotion of European values. As a result, one of the main CEV’s aim is to increase their awareness, knowledge and expertise on volunteering opportunities in Europe. 
The "Youth in Action" programme provides an opportunity for CEV to achieve that by hosting European Voluntary Service projects for young volunteers, who would be involved the CEV advocacy and policy activities, in the management of an Europe-wide project. At the same time, CEV being a truly European network can offer an opportunity for young people to experience the values of active European citizenship and cultural diversity.
In April 2008, CEV has been accreditated by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), European Commission as hosting organisation in the framework of the "European Voluntary Service" (EVS) - Action 2 of the Youth in Actionp rogramme. Since that moment, CEV started to develop ideas to design a project proposal for a EVS placement at CEV headquarters.
Below you can read more about the EVS volunteers who successively carried out their project EVS project at CEV, since January 2009.
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CEV in cooperation with Inex Slovakia , prepared and submitted a 4th EVS project proposal which was approved by the Slovak National Agency. The project is running from July 2010 and will last until March 2011. The activities of the project, which will be implemented in view of the global objective of building a bridge between the two European Years 2010 and 2011 – the year to promote fight against poverty and social exclusion and the year of volunteering, are carried out by a Slovak volunteer, Maria Tvrdonova.
In this framework, Maria will be working mainly on the communication tools of CEV, which are the CEV Online Community, the CEV monthly electronic News and the CEV website, trying to convey a message of voluntary participation to the CEV members, voluntary professionals and the general public. She will also assist the Policy and Projects Officer in the policy work.
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CEV submitted a project proposal to the Hungarian National Agency in collaboration with Messzelato Nature Conservation Association to host a Hungarian volunteer, Katalin Deak from January 2010. Her EVS project aimed at deepening European awareness and to develop exchange of innovative tools and new channels of communication as a means to enhance the knowledge of young people on volunteering, youth policies and youth participation. The volunteer was involved in the process of reinforcing the exchange of good practices on volunteering between the European level and the local level by gathering the experience of the local level organisations and spreading them using new technologies.
Katalin Deak was the third EVS volunteer working at the CEV office. She holds a degree in Business Administration, specialised in international marketing. She is also a graduate of the Avans Hogeschool in Breda. Katalin has been involved in volunteering at several national and international sports events and has also been part of youth projects on the local level.
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CEV prepared and submitted, together with a partner organisation in Germany, VIA e.V., an EVS project proposal, which was approved by the German National Agency in November 2009. One of the focal points of the project was the assessment, evaluation and development of new communication tools (e.g. Twitter, Youtube and Facebook) which can contribute to the enhancement of communicating volunteering and also enrich CEV's communication strategy. However, foremost, the project addressed the general priorities of an EVS placement, such as intercultural learning and contributing to the involvement of the volunteer as an active European citizen. 
As from December 2009 until the beginning of June 2010, Rebekka Opfermann did her EVS project at CEV. She is German and graduated in European Studies from the University of London. Rebekka has been an active member of the Scout movement and took part in university volunteering and community work.
Farewell message by Rebekka
“Last year around July, I started my endeavour at CEV. Coming fresh from university, my experience at CEV proved to be the “baptism of fire” in terms of practical experiences. I remember very well the initial period of acclimatisation: the desperate attempts to organise myself with “To Do” lists and subsequently looking for the missing lists; the constant fights with the technique - the telephone in particular; as well as the frequent typing of “How to...” into the Google search engine. Now, 11 month later, looking back, I realised that I have learned an awful lot. I gained new skills, a new language, new friends, new experiences, new ideas and new attitudes to work and life. I am grateful for all these experiences and the acquaintances made during my time at CEV and I would like to thank my colleagues for all their support and collaboration, as well as all the members and partners I met. Sending you all my best wishes and greetings and I hope we will meet again soon.”
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In September 2008, CEV together with a partner organisation in Greece, Elix - Conservation Volunteers Greece designed and submitted a proposal for a EVS project to the Greek National Agency. This project proposal was focused on the development of IT tools that contribute to the enhancement of youth volunteering, and volunteering in general, as well as to the exchange of good practices and knowledge in European countries. Moreover the volunteer was expected to support CEV in the advancement of CEV's communication strategy while gaining an insight into the EU functioning and policy-making, the work of a network of volunteer centres based in Brussels - these features of the project were expected to contribute to active European citizenship, sense of belonging and to the boosting of intercultural competences.
The project proposal was approved and as of January 2009, CEV hosted a EVS volunteer. His name is Georgios Antonopoulos, he is Greek and has recently graduated in Computing Systems Engineering. He has been volunteering for the benefit of disabled people, social excluded communities and minorities, as well as in environmental conservation actions. Georgios will be stayed at CEV until the end of June 2009.
Farewell words by Georgios Antonopoulos
End of June? No, I guess there must be a mistake somewhere…
“It seems like it was only yesterday when I arrived. Maybe this proves again that time flies really fast when you enjoy yourself. I now see that it’s true. It’s now almost six months and I can’t doubt it considering my memories of this period, the things I learned and the people I met. Yes, all of these things I have learned, the experiences, my friends and my colleagues are the proof of this. I can perceive the differences in myself: new habits, new hobbies, new languages (almost), and more knowledge. Was it the German director that maybe gave me some of his organisational skills, the Polish colleague with her multitasking way of working and an amazing flexibility to break down her computer - I never had so much work provided by only one person, the Portuguese who always had to remember the daily tasks of two people - mine and hers, or the Italian who could understand me better as she knows the Mediterranean working spirit?
What I learned from working in CEV and from the company of my colleagues is what we call in Greek a “short term university”. I want to thank them for the chance they gave me to be here and to work with them, and for being tolerant with me. See you around in our small Europe...”
