CEV General Assemblies > 2010 - December (Brussels, Belgium) - Volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
Volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
A bridge between the European Years 2010 and 2011
6th - 8th December 2010
Brussels (Belgium)
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prospering continent and while the Europe 2020 Strategy aims to turn the EU into an “inclusive economy delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion”, poverty and social exclusion remain an undeniable reality in most European countries: 80 million Europeans live below the poverty line, and many face serious obstacles in accessing employment, education, housing, social and financial services *; 73% of Europeans feel that poverty in their country is widespread *; and 15% of Europeans feel excluded of society *. The reality of poverty and social exclusion as well as their impact on individuals are multifaceted and go far beyond a lack of financial resources: The inability to secure adequate education and training; an impact on physical and mental health; a reduced ability to get access to community networks and activities; the loss of social contacts; the exclusion from decision-making processes; a loss of self-confidence and a feeling of powerlessness and distress are some of the effects we need to fight against in order to allow all members of our societies a dignified lives.
What is the role of volunteering in the fight against poverty and social exclusion? Is volunteering inclusive itself and is its empowering potential used to the full? What recommendations can we formulate for more and better voluntary action in combating poverty and social exclusion, as well as for a better recognition of the role of volunteers in this area?
This second CEV Symposium 2010 will be organised in Brussels in the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, and will bring together over 200 professionals from the volunteering sector as well as decision-makers, experts in the field of the fight against poverty and social exclusion, volunteers and people experiencing poverty, to showcase the empowering potential of volunteering in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. We will present good practice examples from all over Europe and debate a common conference statement, our ‘Brussels Declaration’, to develop and agree on steps we can take to better harness the voluntary sector in the common effort towards the eradication of poverty and social exclusion in our societies. The event will be CEV’s contribution to ensuring a legacy for the European Year of the fight against poverty and social exclusion 2010 – and to the kick-off for the European Year of Volunteering 2011.
Keynote presentation:
Carmen Mathijssen, Programme Coordinator at Cera, Belgium, Volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
Workshop presentations:
A bridge between the European Years 2010 and 2011
6th - 8th December 2010
Brussels (Belgium)
The Symposium participants debated and voted on a common conference statement, the ‘Brussels Declaration’, which formulates 43 concrete steps to be undertaken by key stakeholders, around four main dimensions.
Consult the Brussels Declaration:
Consult the Brussels Declaration:
Brussels Declaration on the role of volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
Video Clip of the Symposium
Pictures
Final programme
Video Clip of the Symposium
Pictures
Final programme
While Europe is a
prospering continent and while the Europe 2020 Strategy aims to turn the EU into an “inclusive economy delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion”, poverty and social exclusion remain an undeniable reality in most European countries: 80 million Europeans live below the poverty line, and many face serious obstacles in accessing employment, education, housing, social and financial services *; 73% of Europeans feel that poverty in their country is widespread *; and 15% of Europeans feel excluded of society *. The reality of poverty and social exclusion as well as their impact on individuals are multifaceted and go far beyond a lack of financial resources: The inability to secure adequate education and training; an impact on physical and mental health; a reduced ability to get access to community networks and activities; the loss of social contacts; the exclusion from decision-making processes; a loss of self-confidence and a feeling of powerlessness and distress are some of the effects we need to fight against in order to allow all members of our societies a dignified lives.What is the role of volunteering in the fight against poverty and social exclusion? Is volunteering inclusive itself and is its empowering potential used to the full? What recommendations can we formulate for more and better voluntary action in combating poverty and social exclusion, as well as for a better recognition of the role of volunteers in this area?
This second CEV Symposium 2010 will be organised in Brussels in the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, and will bring together over 200 professionals from the volunteering sector as well as decision-makers, experts in the field of the fight against poverty and social exclusion, volunteers and people experiencing poverty, to showcase the empowering potential of volunteering in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. We will present good practice examples from all over Europe and debate a common conference statement, our ‘Brussels Declaration’, to develop and agree on steps we can take to better harness the voluntary sector in the common effort towards the eradication of poverty and social exclusion in our societies. The event will be CEV’s contribution to ensuring a legacy for the European Year of the fight against poverty and social exclusion 2010 – and to the kick-off for the European Year of Volunteering 2011.
Keynote presentation:
Carmen Mathijssen, Programme Coordinator at Cera, Belgium, Volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
Workshop presentations:
- Laura Tennina & Gianvito Pappalepore (CSV L’Aquila), Volunteering for the social reconstruction of the local community in L’Aquila (Italy) after the 2009 earthquake
- Anne-Sophie Van der Bracht (Jongerenwerking Foyer), “BIS Award project”: involving socially excluded young people in volunteering
- Anja Ehlers (University of Oldenburg) & Wolfgang Nötzold (ZWAR central office), Social inclusion of elderly through volunteering
- Angel Sola & Yolanda Rueda (Fundación Cibervoluntarios), Cybervolunteering: Citizens’ empowerment through ICTs (information and communication technologies)
- Jan Röben (CESES), The role of Senior Volunteer Associations in the worldwide fight against poverty
- Nick Ockenden (Institute for Volunteering Research), Lifelong Learning as a means of empowerment and social inclusion – the VALUE project as an example
- Violeta Vajda (Voluntary Service Overseas) & Margaret Mliwa (Kenya Ministry of Youth and Sports), The role of international partnerships in volunteering for development; examples from Kenya, China and the Balkans: Margaret's presentation & Violeta's presentation
- Eugen Baldas (Deutscher Caritasverband), Volunteering for better communities, building platforms for citizens – a project model from Caritas Germany
- Alžbeta Mračková (C.A.R.D.O.), “One to one volunteering” for seniors and disabled people in “socially-excluded” environments
- Karolien Schepens (Belgian Anti Poverty Network), How we fight against poverty (out of our own poverty-experience) - volunteering as a tool for empowerment
