Voluntary Service International (VSI) – EVS presentation Léargas Inspiration Day

• About VSI and SCI

• Examples of VSI EVS projects

• How we do it

- Preparation

- Exceptional Costs – APV

- Support

• Impact – on young person, on VSI

• Current VSI EVS projects

• Worldwide peace movement (1920)

• (1965) Irish branch of Service Civil International (SCI)

Vision and Mission

Peace

Social justice

Sustainable development

Mutual respect

Intercultural understanding

- through volunteering

About SCI today

• 80 branches and partner organisations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North and Latin America

• 10,000 active members and volunteers

About VSI (Voluntary Service International- Ireland)

• Membership organisation with approximately 400 members

• Registered charity

• Signatory to the “Code of Good Practice for Volunteer Sending Organisations”

Member of:

⁻ Dóchas (Irish Association of non Governmental Organisations for Overseas Development)

⁻ National Youth Council of Ireland

VSI values – match E+ values e.g.:

• E+: Inclusion and equality

• E+: Empowerment - empowering people to understand and act to transform the social, cultural and economic structures that affect their lives at all levels

i.e. active citizenship

– VSI aims to achieve through volunteering

VSI & EVS

VSI works with:

• all young people

• Vulnerable and hard to reach young people

- socially and economically disadvantaged young people

- disabled young people

Long-term EVS example:

• Volunteer: 22; socially and economically disadvantaged, disability

• Country: Greece, Thessaloniki

• Host org: Alter Ego youth organisation

• Duration: 12 months

• Work: youth organisation,

promoting Erasmus+ to

young people and students,

English, international disability

project

Preparation

• Group and individual preparation

• Meetings with volunteer + sometimes youth worker

- Includes volunteer’s motivations, hopes, fears + support needs

• Intercultural learning, culture shock

• Meetings with former EVS volunteers

Short-term EVS example:

• Volunteer: 18-24 (x 2)

• Country: Albania, Tirana

• Host org: PVN (VSI’s branch)

• Duration: 1 month

• Work: human rights education, youth/cultural centre – upcycling etc.

• Volunteer: 20s; wheelchair user, PA

• Country: Finland, Helsinki

• Host org: Threshold, disability advocacy organisation

• Duration: 5 weeks

• Work: Research/interviewing members, access audit in Helsinki, writing articles for the org magazine

Short-term EVS example 2:

• passport

• health check

• Advanced Planning Visit (APV)

• extra language classes

• extra preparation including travel to e.g. meetings

• ‘reinforced mentorship’ - increased mentoring input

• clothing for cold climate

EVS (E+) programme very good for extra support needs

• Meet staff and usually the supervisor

• Opportunity for each to think about, discuss and plan the work

• The volunteer (and the SO) see where they will be working and often see the accommodation - what it looks like

• Learn how to get around, use public transport, see how accessible things are

• Get to know places, know hoe it feels to be there

• Try the food, learn somethings about the culture and experience some social life

• Engage and mix with people from the country and the RO

APV

Support during the EVS:

• Skype/facebook calls, emails

• Volunteers send photos, social media posts etc.

• RO contact maintained throughout

Support for orgs

• Lots of support from Léargas, website, + training, meetings

• EVS Info Kit

• EU - E+ youth portal – stories from young people, databases etc.

Impact on vol • Travel – many excluded yps have limited travel experience – gained

experience and confidence in booking flights, dealing with airlines etc. • Experiencing ‘work situation’ and how organisations function • If linked to personal experience can be powerful e.g. seeing people with

disabilities working as professionals - positive role models • Experiencing life in another country and society – valuable in itself • ‘Soft skills’ – confidence in general, resilience, independence,

communication skills • ‘Hard skills’ linked to the work + increased employability • ‘Feeling part of things’, feeling ‘useful’ experience participation in society • Meeting other young people from different countries • Youthpass

Impact on VSI:

• Fulfils our aims and we practice our values

• Learning – have lots of contact with yps and APV so we learn about the RO country and culture,

• Meet new organisations - new relationships and opportunities

• Increase our capacity and skills every time

• (RO benefits from having the yp with them, learning opportunities)

Current opportunities

• VSI currently looking for 2 volunteers to do short-term EVS for one month in Albania in 2017.

• Work with our branch there – human rights education, youth/cultural centre – upcycling etc.

• + currently seeking 10 volunteers for various EVS positions starting in November – 8-12 months