WOSM is Cofounder of the European Alliance for Volunteering

(WOSM European Region/Brussels) – The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) is one of six co-founding European networks and organisations active in the Volunteering area which gathered last week in Brussels to establish the European Alliance for Volunteering (EAV).

We have spoken with Pavel Trantina, WOSM’s representative at the inaugural meeting, who was elected the Alliance’s first president. Pavel explained the objectives of the new Alliance: “With this Alliance we now have the means to better and more actively coordinate and develop efforts aimed at appropriate follow-up of the policy recommendations in the area of volunteering in Europe as contained in the Policy Agenda for Volunteering in Europe (P.A.V.E.). We will also be able to monitor closely and communicate any other relevant developments concerning volunteering in Europe, eventually acting as a kind of clearing house for this important area.”

Volunteering Day 2012

The idea for the Alliance was developed during the European Year of Volunteering in 2011 when a number of organisations had frst expressed their interest for having a more permanent platform. And looking into the future, Pavel was convinced that “in two years time, I see the European Alliance for Volunteering as a well-established, fully functional platform with a membership reaching 20-30 pan-European networks dealing with volunteering. And as a reliable partner of European institutions, pushing forward P.A.V.E. and making visible the work of its member organisations. Hopefully, one day EAV will be considered as the main resource of expertise in the field of volunteering, with a range of recommendable specialists among its member organisations.”

Other representatives elected to the EAV Board during the inaugural meeting (kindly hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee) included Vice-President Piotr Sadowski (Volonteurope) as well as members Christianna Papalia (WAGGGS) and Renzo Razzano (CEV). The Board appointed Joao Salviano as a temporary Secretary General. A Work Plan for the new platform was also adopted.

Founding members of the European Alliance for Volunteering:

– European Youth Forum (YFJ)
– European Volunteer Centre (CEV)
– Eurodiaconia
– World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)
– World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM)
– Volonteurope

Follow the European Alliance for Volunteering on facebook.

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