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155 experts from 25 countries agree on the ‘CEV Brussels Declaration on the role of volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion
The CEV Symposium “Volunteering as a means of empowerment and social inclusion – A bridge between the European Years 2010 and 2011” took place in Brussels in the framework of the Belgian EU Presidency, on 6-8 December 2010. The event gathered over 150 participants from 25 countries from all over Europe and beyond, among which professionals from the volunteering sector; decision-makers, such as MEP Silvia Costa, Belgian Minister President of the Flemish Community Kris Peeters, or the leader of the EC Taskforce for the European Year of Volunteering John Macdonald; experts in the field of the fight against poverty and social exclusion such as EAPN Director Fintan Farrell or Belgian Researcher Carmen Mathijssen; as well as volunteers and people experiencing poverty and social exclusion.
Study on Volunteering in EU
The aim of this study was to help the European Commission consider ways in which the voluntary sector could be further promoted at EU level and the extent to which volunteering could help the EU in achieving its wider strategic objectives set out in for example the Social Agenda and the Lisbon Strategy. A study on volunteering in the European Union was launched by DC EAC end of 2008 within the context of its reflections on volunteering and possibly the preparation for a European Year of Volunteering.
County Wicklow Volunteer Centre