(ANS – Vienna) – 22 young volunteers from 10 European countries, all having an experience doing voluntary work abroad, met in Vienna the weekend from the 17th to the 20th of November, to take part in the seminar “Lifelong Engagement After Voluntary Experience”, organised by the Salesian NGO Jugend Eine Welt and Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw.

After returning from an international voluntary service, the volunteers need to find a place in their lives for this experience.  This is not always easy.  The experience has been so unique that people at home do not always understand the process they went through.  This situation was the incentive for the seminar. 

During their international voluntary service the participants worked with young people who are facing fewer opportunities (street children, Roma-gypsies, ...).  However, that is not always clearly visible, many young people in their local environment are facing fewer opportunities as well.  Through this seminar it was intended to give the participants the incentive to transform their experiences into a local engagement, catering for the needs young people are facing in their homes.

The seminar was a mixture of different workshops, including voluntary work at a local oratory, Sale für Alle, which was initiated by returning volunteers.  After this the participants were introduced to “youth initiatives”.  This is a specific activity within the European funding programme ‘Youth in Action’.  With youth initiatives the volunteers themselves can get financial support to start-up their own activities at local level.  L.E.A.V.E. itself was also organised with the financial support of ‘Youth in Action’.

Published 28/11/2011