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