Rozwój Wolontariatu Europejskiego jako formy edukacji pozaformalnej i międzykulturowej

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Rozwój Wolontariatu Europejskiego jako formy edukacji pozaformalnej i międzykulturowej

Journal Title: Zeszyty Naukowe Zbliżenia Cywilizacyjne - Year 2014, Vol 0, Issue 1

Abstract

countries. After the founding of the European Union it became apparent that continuation of integration initiatives will to a great extent depend on the condition of the future European society – an information society that is knowledge-based, entrepreneurial, capable of introducing innovative solutions, able to adapt to changing economic and political environment and consciously react to opportunities and limitations created by multicultural surrounding, tolerant and supportive. A similar situation entailed introduction of alternative solutions into the European social policy – including the policy for youth – that would enable to achieve the economic and political goals of the European community. Consultations conducted in 2001 and 2002 among the European youth enabled to delineate the main problem areas concerning this group, to formulate the main assumptions of the youth policy, and to indicate the right activities, tools and methods of its execution. Youth exchange and volunteerism were treated as priorities and perceived as complementary forms of the formal educational system. The results of qualitative research that was conducted among EVS beneficiaries indicated that participation in volunteering programs not only contributed to a change in their cognitive bias and increased their social and professional competence, but it also contributed to the general youth’s awareness of the influence of their actions on the future of Europe. As the results suggest, it also encouraged them to search for and accept common values in an increasingly multicultural society. The analysis of EU programs thus depicted volunteerism as a key element of nonformal education and a crucial form of gaining intercultural competence. The following article consists of three main parts. The first part is an overview of selected EU policy documents highlighting the growing importance of nonformal education – including volunteerism program – in the process of formulating the EU youth policy. The second part presents a concise overview of evaluation reports following completion of EVS projects conducted 2000-2006 and 2007-2013. The last part of the article presents excerpts from interviews with former EVS project volunteers, coordinators and mentors who confirmed that volunteerism is a crucial form of nonformal and multicultural education.

Authors and Affiliations

Nadina Milewska-Pindor

Keywords

EP ID EP165626
DOI -
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