GRU-11-P-LP-303-B-ESProject meeting in UK

6-9 November 2011

EXERCISES FOR STIMULATING MOTIVATION IN VOLUNTARIEES

Volunteering in Romania

The project was financed with the support of the European Commission within the frame of the LLP - Grundtvig Programme. This document reflects the view only of the authors, the National Agencies and the European Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

During the communist regime, many of the civil society structures were destroyed and those remaining were placed under the control of the totalitarian administration.

After 1989, the voluntary sector re-emerged in Romania. External factors also helped to promote voluntary activities and organisations; a large number of foreign volunteers arrived in Romania, many of whom took part in social assistance activities or contributed to social services (‘Médecins Sans Frontières’).

More recently, the 2001 International Year of Volunteering helped to launch the Romanian Volunteering Law.

Short history

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

• Romanian civil society emerged during the early 20th century; cultural and sport associations started to develop around churches, helping disadvantaged groups.

Definitions

According to the Romanian Law on Volunteering (Legea Voluntariatului) adopted in 2001 and amended in 2006: Volunteering is an activity of public interest, undertaken out of

free will by a person aiming at helping others, without being motivated by financial or material gains.

The public interest activity is carried out in various domains such as social assistance and services; environmental protection; culture, education, arts etc.

The organisation hosting the volunteers or carrying out the voluntary activities may be a non-profit private or a public organisation, run in the public benefit.

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Number and profile of volunteers

not all volunteers sign a volunteering contract with the host organisation

there is no national register of volunteering contractsHowever there are several useful sources of data, for example

databases collected by the Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF), by the Association for Governmental Strategies and the Association for Community Relations.

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

There is no definitive data available on the total number of volunteers in Romania. The lack of data on this matter is determined by two key factors:

Number and profile of volunteers(continued)

A comparative glance at the numbers of volunteers between 1999 and 2008 would suggest that the rate of volunteering has increased slightly from 9,5% to 12,8% of the adult population.

But actual proportion of active volunteers ("who do voluntary work on a regular monthly basis"), is estimated to be much lower, under 2% of the adult population.

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Research confirms that the age group most committed to volunteering are young people aged under 30.

Surprisingly, the rate of volunteerism increases towards the upper end of the age spectrum, in particular those aged between 60 and 69 years.

Number and profile of volunteers(continued)

Examining a database of 6,936 NGOs, CSDF - Civil Society Development Foundation - concludes:28% of NGOs operate in the domain of social and medical services 25% in sport and culture

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

15% in education and training32% other domains like business, protection of human rights

and citizenship rights, religion etc.

Organisations involved in volunteering

Public bodies there is no a main public body currently responsible for

the monitoring and regulation of voluntary activities and institutions in Romania

on various occasions some ministries are involved or the Governmental Department of Relations with the Associative Domain, the Agency for Governmental Strategies and the National Agency for Community Programmes in the Field of Education and Vocational Training (ANPCDEFP)

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Organisations involved in volunteering(continued)

Other organisations VOLUM – Federation of Organisations Suporting the

Volunteering Development in Romania National Volunteer Centre Pro Vobis – coordinates a national

network of volunteer centres (15 centres in entire country) as well as its online platform dedicated to volunteering: www.voluntariat.ro

National Forum for NGOs also forms another important structure CSDF - Civil Society Development Foundation various student organisations such as, AIESEC and BEST

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

NGO’s funding

There is no national budget for volunteering. However, there are certain public funds available from the EU, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance.

Membership feesIncome from direct economic activitiesDonations and sponsorshipEU fundsDevelopment agencies that can run operational programmes

such as, the Regional Environmental Centre and the Foundation of Princess Margaret of Romania

Programmes of countries that have a bilateral agreement with Romania (e.g., USAID, MATRA programme from NL) and multilateral donors (e.g. World Bank funds etc.)Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Social and Cultural Dimension of Volunteering

Volunteering enables citizens to become more active in society and to become better informed about the world around them.

Participation in voluntary activities also gives individuals to opportunity to help local authorities to develop innovative and timely solutions to problems encountered by local communities.

Key benefits for volunteers: Professional experience Helping others Making friends Implementing ideas Making the individual’s CV more attractive Trying out a potential career Travelling abroad and discovering new cultures

Source of information: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Challenges for volunteering

Source: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Prejudices against volunteering volunteering was invented by the communists and should

be replaced with paid work volunteers would not be needed if the state was doing a

better job volunteers undertake unpaid work to gain material benefits people only work seriously when they get paid

Barriers Insufficient time Work-related duties Family obligations Health or age

Challenges for volunteering(continued)

Source: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Important impediment is the lack dissemination of good practices related to working with volunteers (such as, examples of how to manage volunteers effectively).

Lack of information on volunteering available to young people, particularly those from small towns and rural areas

No sustainable funding for voluntary organisations

Opportunities for volunteering

Source: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

European Year of Volunteering 2011National Week of Volunteering – coordinated by Pro

VobisONG Fest Caravan – organised by CSDF

Examples of NGOs working with voluntaries

Source: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

International organisations Save the children Red cross World Organization of Scout Betany Foundation Local organisations

More Green Romanian Scout Rescue Society Association Visual Impaired Association Maria Association Reper 21 Aspirations and Motivations for

Future – AMV ARVAR

NGOs collaborating with ARVAR

Source: Study of Volunteering in the European Union, GHK

Romanian Scouts Movement

Scout Movement is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society.

They use specific methods that make each individual the principal agent of his or her development as a self-reliant, supportive, responsible and committed person.

Common actions between Romanian Scouts and children from visual impaired school.

Origami lesson

Preparing Halloween day.

Association for Visual Impaired

Association for Visual Impaired represents the interests of visually impaired people from all over the country.

The actual number of members is approximately 80.000.

Volunteers are involved in helping members in doing different activities as well as supporting families with visually impaired members.

Project Discover Europe for visually impaired children

Chess contest

Maria Association

• Maria Association aims to support the handicapped and disadvantaged children, to offer them medical and social assistance.

• In collaboration with HCPT, Maria Foundation organises Pilgrimage holidays to Lourdes in France for handicapped children.

MoreGreen Association

More green because we wish to be able to leave as heritage for our children all four seasons, drinking water and fresh air, not a bank account and a four rooms apartment.

Areas of activity: Environment protection Forestation Greening Promoting an eco lifestyle

Values: Respect for nature Volunteering Cooperation Communication

Planting trees in Iasi county

Gathering waste in Murighiol, Danube Delta

Start thinking eco from childhood

Bikes march

Cicloteque - project for bike sharing

Rescue Society Association

Supports the Ambulance Service BucharestAreas of activity:

Interventions in emergency situations Aid in natural disaster situations Education for healthy life

Volunteers fist have to attend a class of Basic Life Support and only after that they can assist and accomplish tasks on emergency cases.

On july, 26th this year Rescue Society together with Ambulance Service Bucharest managed to gather 7,402 volunteers to simultaneously learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, establishing a new Guiness World Record.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training course for 7402 volunteers. Location: Dinamo stadium.

Reper 21

Reper 21 has as mission to promote the sustenable development and social responsability of organizations.

Campaignes: Green Santa Claus (hand made ornaments

from recicled materials) Green tourism in Danube Delta ...The products have a story too Balanced alimentation of a healthy person

Projects: Societal – promoting social responsibility in NGOs’ projects and activities.

Aspirations and Motivations for Future

AMV Association - is a local non-profit association located in Bucharest, having the mission to promote the non formal education for social-economic disadvantaged people.

Target group: Children and young people from disorganized families or in

socio-economical difficulty being at risk of marginalization Persons having visual impairment

This NGO involves voluntaries from schools and universities in projects and activities organised for the support of unprivileged persons.

Workshop preparing spring holiday of 1st March. Creative activities with children from a social center and volunteers.

Workshop to learn about European countries.

Participants - teenagers from a social centre and

volunteers from a high school.

Participating to this project…

ARVAR intends: to gain more knowledge for improving its activity to meet people from other similar organisations from

Europe to exchange experiences for attracting more volunteers to learn to better support disadvantaged persons,

especially children and teenagers for their social integration.