The Joy of Giving: How Volunteering Contributes to Social Inclusion
The Joy of Giving: How Volunteering Contributes to Social Inclusion
In 2005 Heads of State and Governments gave their support to the “European Pact for Youth and Promoting Active Citizenship” putting forward policy coordination and joint action in the three fields of “employment, integration and social advancement”, “education, training and mobility” and “reconciliation of working life and family life”. In March 2008 the European Parliament voted in a report on the role of volunteering recognising the contribution itmakes to the economic and social cohesion of European societies and to the social integration of disadvantaged persons and vulnerable groups at the local level.
Volunteering is currently addressed within a range of programmes and initiatives focusing on certain age groups (in particular on young and elderly people) and policy areas. Some EU programmes, such as “Europe for Citizens” and “European Action Programme on Life-long Learning”, focus on an exchange of experiences and good practice. Others promote mobility across Europe and support capacity and infrastructure building. These programmes and initiatives however, do not yet take full account of the relevance of volunteering in solving a variety of political, social and economic challenges that the EU faces today, which would call for a cross-cutting approach.
