C Explanatory
memorandum by Mr Volontè, rapporteur
1 Introduction
1. The United Nations declared 2001 the “International
Year of Volunteers”. The activities implemented during that year
spotlighted volunteer work and voluntary service. A series of events,
research projects and enhancement drives were organised in this
sector. In 2001, more generally, volunteers were provided with major
support in terms of resources, communications and research.
2. I have noticed that, after 2001, the benefits rapidly faded
and that practices in Council of Europe member states and the various
authorities vis-à-vis these modes of citizen involvement have progressed
little, or have even regressed.
3. The year 2011 has been declared the “European Year of Volunteers”
by the European Union. I wish to recall that the memorandum of understanding
concluded in May 2007 between the Council of Europe and the European
Union stipulated that the contribution of civil society to achieving
the common goals of the Council of Europe and the European Union
should be encouraged.
4. With an eye to 2011, I propose that the Council of Europe
draw on the wealth and diversity of its past experience in the cultural
field to send out a positive message and initiate practical programmes,
in order to highlight the importance of active citizenship through
participation in public life.
5. In this report, I would like to underline, in particular,
the role played by volunteer work in policies on “active ageing”
and in integration policies in a multi-ethnic society.
1.1 Topical debate
on voluntary work
6. Volunteer service is a long-standing tradition in
most European countries, although it exists to varying extents and
in different forms depending on political, democratic, socio-cultural
and economic conditions in the Council of Europe member states.
In many countries, voluntary activities account for a large proportion
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and of the wealth of their citizens
in general.
7. Volunteer work is an activity undertaken in accordance with
the wishes, choice and motivation of an unpaid person within organised
structures (for instance an NGO, a voluntary service centre or more
loosely organised groups) for the benefit of someone other than
the voluntary worker him- or herself and for society in general,
by promoting values of general interest, although the enormous benefit
of volunteering to the voluntary worker cannot be overlooked.
8. I consider that the economic and financial crisis affecting
all member states should induce us to reconsider how we evaluate
our wealth. I might mention, for instance, the recent report by
Joseph Stiglitz,
Note which notes that living conditions
and well-being in society are just as important as the economy for
the development of a given country. Volunteering undeniably accounts
for a major proportion of this added value.
9. Given the ease with which we can formalise and assess the
value of volunteer work and voluntary service,
Note these
two modes of social commitment and added value could be a first
step in an approach to assessing the value of the quality of life
in our societies.
10. In addition to highlighting and enhancing voluntary service
once again in the public debate, I would also like to secure lasting
and substantial improvements for the whole volunteering sector.
In my view, no lasting change is possible without enshrining it
in legislation.
11. The aim is to propose a broad framework for voluntary activities,
identify the fields of action conducive to supporting the Council
of Europe’s priorities and pinpoint levers for the recognition and
promotion of this sector, which is vital for democracy, social inclusion
and human rights.
1.2 The contribution
of voluntary service
12. Volunteer work and voluntary service are activities
which involve learning, sharing and solidarity. They enable the
young and the less young to acquire experience of life, a civic
spirit and vocational skills. They help transmit knowledge, improve
the employability of unemployed volunteers and enable older persons
to remain active.
13. The Parliamentary Assembly has often urged civil society players
to come forward as guarantors of social cohesion and vehicles of
participative democracy. Volunteering enables all citizens to take
part in the democratic process. Volunteering, like social activism,
can be purposeful and change orientated. For example, volunteering
can be directed at influencing agenda setting, policy making and
decision making. It can also promote social change by contributing
to personal transformation, whereby individuals change their beliefs, perspectives
and day-to-day behaviour once they have developed a new awareness
or understanding of a particular situation.
Note
14. In my view, there is no state which does not have voluntary
workers, whether individuals or groups, organised or informal. In
many countries volunteer work and voluntary service provide considerable
assistance for society and the economy while promoting social cohesion
and political stability. They are components of the intermediate
bodies which facilitate ongoing dialogue and mediation between the
political authorities and the citizens.
15. According to a report published by Johns Hopkins University
in 2007 on “Measuring Civil Society and Volunteering”, in many countries
the sector of non-profit institutions is virtually on a par with
the building and finance sector in terms of its contribution to
GDP, paying in almost twice as much as the public services. This means
that it accounts for between 5% and 7% of GDP in the countries surveyed.
This is the conclusion from the data submitted by the statistical
offices of eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech
Republic, France, Japan, New Zealand and the United States).
Note
16. It should be noted that when this report was published, another
20 countries, including developed and developing countries, had
undertaken to present such “satellite accounts”, and a number of
others were about to introduce such accounts, as a clear sign that
an increasing number of states are aware of the need to include volunteering
in their national accounting systems.
17. In the European Union, a Eurobarometer survey conducted between
17 November and 19 December 2006 showed that three in every 10 Europeans
claim to be involved in a voluntary activity.
Note
18. However, the European average obscures some major discrepancies
among member states, with a very high percentage of citizens declaring
that they participate actively in voluntary activities or work for
an association on an unpaid basis in some countries. For instance,
in Austria (60%), the Netherlands (55%) and Sweden (53%), more than
half of the respondents aged 15 and over state that they exercise
a voluntary activity. The rates of participation in voluntary work
are lowest in Lithuania (11%) and Portugal (12%).
Note
19. More or less equal numbers of men and women are involved in
volunteering. In 2003, the Committee of Ministers of the Council
of Europe adopted Recommendation Rec(2003)3 on balanced participation
of women and men in political and public decision making, which
included women’s involvement in associations.
Note Volunteer
work and voluntary service are exemplary in this respect and have
conducted ground-breaking work in ensuring access by women to responsibilities.
20. Alongside the traditional educational and training courses,
volunteering helps the young and the less young to acquire life
experience, a civic spirit and vocational skills. It provides adults
in mid-career and retired persons with fulfilment, encourages knowledge
transmission and helps people to cope better with the ageing process.
21. Volunteering has a role to play in securing full employment
by making unemployed persons more “employable”, helping restore
their self-confidence, opening doors for them and supplying them
with new labour-marketable skills. Furthermore, voluntary work often
leads to the creation of new types of paid services and jobs. During
periods of unemployment, the activity afforded to the individuals
involved ensures that they remain in the social circuits and prevents
them from becoming isolated, undermined or even excluded.
22. However, I also believe that voluntary work must not be used
by governments as a means of manipulating unemployment statistics
and creating a “second labour market” with second-class jobs for second-class
citizens. Nor should it be regarded as a cheap way for society to
delegate public responsibilities to the non-governmental organisations
handling voluntary service.
Note
23. Volunteers are therefore driving forces in civil society,
and their existence and development are guarantors of democracy
and peace. In a world in which money is becoming the sole value
and where individualism sometimes reaches extremes, volunteering
is a free act, a symbol of sharing.
24. In some European countries the means of combating poverty
increasingly include “banks” run by associations of volunteers having
the status of non-profit making organisations. These include “food
banks”, that collect foodstuffs donated by private individuals or
companies, which are then distributed free of charge to families
and individuals experiencing financial difficulties.
25. I note that the private and governmental sectors are showing
increasing interest in voluntary work and they should be encouraged
to continue. Businesses frequently sponsor projects run by voluntary
associations and encourage their staff to become involved in volunteering
by giving them paid leave or financial aid.
26. Volunteering and innovative partnerships between enterprises,
public authorities and voluntary centres are a means of developing
policies of corporate social responsibility.
27. Furthermore, corporate staff members that are involved in
volunteering provide a wide range of competences which help support
and reinforce local communities. Partnerships between the private
sector and voluntary organisations increase the added value of volunteering
by targeting and matching up needs and resources.
28. Particular attention must be paid to recognising skills and
competences developed through informal learning experiences. The
role of voluntary work in a lifelong training strategy requires
active recognition. Moreover, activities intended to develop official
recognition systems for informal and non-formal learning processes
must be supported.
1.3 Volunteering by
older people in the context of “active ageing” policies
29. Faced with an ageing society and a new inter-generational
balance, it is important to develop and support instruments to facilitate
the participation of older people in society. I would support and
promote the declarations by the European Older People’s Platform
on this subject.
Note
30. According to the 2008 European Union Flash Eurobarometer on
family life and the needs of ageing populations, 73% of European
Union workers approaching retirement age are in favour of taking
part in some type of voluntary activity when they have stopped working.
Many of them would also like to contribute to society outside their
occupational context while they are still working. But in fact,
only 44% of retired people opt for volunteering.
31. Older people who take part in voluntary activities bring with
them solid competences and knowledge and show incredible commitment.
They have specific qualities to offer thanks to their social maturity,
their lifelong experience and their sense of obligation to society.
32. However, older people wishing to take part in voluntary activities
often face deterrent factors such as negative attitudes and prejudices,
cultural barriers and discriminatory practices and policies. Increasing demand
for special skills, the complex administrative procedures for organising
the simplest voluntary activities and the imposition by insurance
companies of unjustified age limits for voluntary activities are
among the many obstacles which we must help remove.
33. Sometimes older people themselves hesitate to become involved
in volunteering due to a lack of self-confidence or because they
do not realise what voluntary work really involves. Such obstacles
as health problems, financial and time constraints or mobility problems
can also raise difficulties.
34. Similarly, it is sometimes difficult for older people who
are from ethnic minorities, have disabilities or fail to correspond
to the standard image of volunteers to take part in voluntary activities,
especially in the leading organisations.
35. National governments and local and regional authorities can
do a great deal to promote volunteering by older persons in their
respective countries. The aim is to encourage the development of
voluntary activities for all age groups by reinforcing inter-generational
solidarity, remove legal and administrative obstacles and devise
legal frameworks to ensure that the possibility to exercise a voluntary
activity does not depend on the individual’s legal or social status.
1.4 Volunteering by
migrants and ethnic minorities as a vehicle for integration
36. Volunteer work also has a powerful effect on the
integration and empowerment of traditionally excluded social groups
such as immigrants and can constitute a vehicle for social, cultural
and occupational integration.
37. Volunteering enables immigrants to acquire basic knowledge
of the host society, for example in terms of language, access to
housing and educational and health services. It facilitates participation
in society through non-formal and informal education
Note and helps reinforce
the immigrant’s employability on the labour market.
38. Furthermore, volunteering makes the immigrant community’s
contribution visible to the host society. It brings immigrants and
non-immigrants together in conducting civic activities that address
local issues affecting them both. It helps the host society to cope
with increasing diversity and adapt to change.
39. All sectors of associative life are obviously open to immigrant
populations. However, it should be easier to promote their voluntary
involvement in specific activities which primarily affect migrants
and ethnic minorities.
40. I would especially highlight the importance of the following
categories and fields of work: learning the language of the host
country and supporting school and out-of-school activities; cultural
activities and intercultural encounters; mediation services and
action to prevent minor everyday conflicts; training and employment;
access to housing and services geared to mediating between population
groups and government departments or landlords; health information
and prevention; and information on rights and free legal consultations.
Note
41. A number of statutory, linguistic, psychological, educational,
cultural, financial and administrative obstacles often prevent immigrant
populations from becoming involved in volunteering.
42. Foreigners in precarious or unstable situations hesitate to
join voluntary associations because they are worried about their
provisional status, which sometimes borders on illegality. A command
of the language of the host country is a tacit precondition for
voluntary work in an association, whatever the duties to be discharged.
Moreover, volunteering is based on self-esteem and skills or knowledge
that can be passed on; unfortunately, many foreigners who face multiple
difficulties, such as access to housing and employment, have a negative
image of themselves and their abilities.
43. The primary concern of immigrants is often their basic livelihood,
including foreign students, whose grants and family support are
not always enough. They have no time for voluntary work and, more
often than not, associations consider immigrant populations as target
groups rather than full partners. Lastly, creating and developing
an association involve procedures which may well put foreigners
off.
44. When compared with the voluntary commitment by the overall
population of the host country, the following common points emerge
for immigrants: lack of time, lack of information on volunteering,
a poor experience on first contact with an association and financial
problems.
45. I consider that volunteering should be easily accessible to
migrants. This may involve providing information in the language
of the target migrant group or refunding volunteers’ travel expenses.
Targeted programmes should be developed and financial support provided
to reinforce diversity in voluntary associations by recruiting migrant
volunteers.
46. Recognition of the role and achievements of migrant volunteers
by the organisation and by the general public is vital in counterbalancing
the lack of confidence and the negative perception of migrants prevailing
in society, for example by organising information campaigns and
publishing articles in the local press on successful projects.
47. Lastly, an appropriate legal framework for voluntary work
tailored to the multi-ethnic realities of the member states of the
Council of Europe would help address the integration issue in an
original and positive manner. I would advocate a policy of national,
regional and local integration, which also enhances the role of volunteering
and granting immigrant populations the status of full stakeholders
in the integration process.
2 Conclusions
48. While many Council of Europe member states have legislation
or regulations on the right of association, few have systematically
and comprehensively recognised the value of voluntary work and accordingly established
a genuine legal status for volunteers.
49. Europe has no common references for voluntary work. The same
applies to the development of rights and duties facilitating mutual
understanding of the challenges and the place of volunteering in
our modern democracies.
50. In a few states, the initial steps have been taken, providing
ideas to be followed and strengthened; they generally involve establishing
social protection and attempting to take account of voluntary work
in acquiring a retirement pension.
51. For instance, since the 1980s the United Kingdom has been
running a number of programmes and schemes to encourage unemployed
and disabled persons to volunteer in the health and social services sectors.
In Ireland, unemployed persons can engage in voluntary activity
if it does not interfere with their availability for and efforts
to secure paid employment or training. In Germany, people on unemployment
benefit are allowed to volunteer for a maximum of seventeen hours
per week.
52. I would like to refer to the “Legal Status of Volunteers in
Europe” study, conducted jointly by the European Volunteer Centre
and the Association of Voluntary Service Organisations. It provides
a broad overview of the current legal situation of persons dealing
with voluntary activities and volunteer programmes in Europe, describes
voluntary activities and pinpoints the obstacles to their development.
It also sets out examples of good practice in national legislation,
policies and national programmes.
Note
53. I believe that the concept of "bolder giving" which was developed
in the Unites States and consists in forming associations bringing
together individuals who donate part of their assets or income to
voluntary organisations for at least three years, should also be
promoted in the member states of the Council of Europe. It is also
critical that the principle of the tax deductibility of donations
should be harmonised in all Council of Europe member states so as
to allow genuinely fair competition and improved transnational action
by voluntary-sector organisations.
54. However, I would also like to stress that volunteering is
not a means of making up for social and economic shortcomings which
are the responsibility of the state and the government, and should
not be regarded as a cheap way for society to delegate public responsibilities
to the non-governmental organisations handling voluntary service.
55. I see an obvious and increasing political interest in the
volunteering phenomenon and its potential role in an ageing and
multi-ethnic society. This is why I am hoping that the Assembly
will join in the European Year of Volunteers, in co-operation with
the European Commission, and come down wholeheartedly in favour
of developing a volunteering culture in Europe.
56. I propose that the Assembly address this matter by preparing
a resolution on good practices in terms of supporting and taking
into account volunteer work and voluntary service, and recommending
that the Committee of Ministers also deal with this question.
57. In the same spirit as for the campaign “All Different, All
Equal”, long-term co-operation between the European Union and the
Council of Europe, with co-ordinated action in line with their respective
fields of action, could help reinforce the action of volunteers.
The Committee of Ministers should encourage the activities and enable
its member states, particularly those which are not in the European
Union, to become involved in promoting democracy by boosting the
voluntary sector.
