EU aid volunteers will be soon be deployed to tackle specific humanitarian needs in crises, under a new draft legislation approved on Tuesday by members of the European Parliament.
Voting overwhelmingly in favor of the program — by a margin of 600 to 30 — MEPs endorsed a “win-win initiative” that will allow more than 18,000 European Union citizens, NGO employees and third country nationals over 18 to take part in humanitarian work worldwide in the next seven years.
From 2014-2020, the European Commission expects to facilitate the deployment of more than 3,950 EU citizens to disaster-affected countries. An additional 1,990 humanitarian apprenticeships will be offered within the European Union, and some 10,000 home-based “online volunteers” will be responsible for tasks ranging from graphic design and translation to providing advice and support. It is also expected that more than 4,400 people from local organizations in non-EU, disaster-affected countries will also benefit from the chance to undertake training and job shadowing within European humanitarian organizations.
Speaking in a press conference following the announcement, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva said she was “grateful” to members of the European Parliament for their “constructive contribution and support” for this initiative.
“Volunteering on humanitarian projects is a way in which our citizens can make a concrete, positive difference,” building on a “sense of European solidarity” and “strong support” for the European Union’s assistance to the victims of crises and disasters around the world, Georgieva noted.
READ:Volunteering: It’s not just for college students and recent grads
How it works
With a budget of €147.9 million, the program will create opportunities for a variety of profiles, ranging from newcomers to experienced — even retired — humanitarian experts. Among other areas, the budget will be allocated towards activities such as training, capacity building, the deployment of volunteers and ongoing support measures to include an online volunteer network.
Throughout the duration of the program, volunteers will be trained and assigned to humanitarian organizations for deployment within EU-funded projects in disaster-affected countries.
Volunteers will have a number of options available to them, ranging from performing online tasks from home, through work at the offices of humanitarian organizations inside the EU, to deployment to EU-funded humanitarian operations around the world.
Having first been envisaged back in 2007 as part of Lisbon Treaty negotiations, the official launch of the program is foreseen by the end of 2014, after formal approval from the 28 EU member states and following the completion of three pilot rounds of the program that have deployed 270 volunteers in 44 countries across the globe since 2011, including Haiti, Uganda and the Philippines.
READ:Volunteers can really make a difference
Next steps
In addition to the program being rubber-stamped by the Council of Ministers, the coming months will see the preparation of the program’s practical launch, including training activities, the certification process, capacity building and technical assistance for all stakeholders.
Based on a regular needs assessment, the European Commission will publish calls for proposals for deployment of volunteers and NGOs wishing to take part in the scheme — either as volunteer ‘sending’ or ‘hosting’ organizations — will first have to be certified.
Certified organizations will be able to identify suitable projects and apply for EU grants to deploy volunteers. Following an on-the-ground needs assessment to ensure the sustainable impact of the volunteers, NGOs will then identify candidate volunteers to be trained according to any ‘special circumstances’ in the host country prior to deployment.
Once volunteers have completed their training and passed an assessment, they will be eligible for deployment and included in a database maintained by the European Commission, and according to a parliamentary statement, volunteers will not be deployed to operations conducted in the theater of international and non-international armed conflicts.
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About the author
Richard Jones@richard_devex
In his role as Editorial Director Richard oversees content for digital series, reports and events, leading a talented team of writers and editors, conducting high-level video interviews and moderating panels at events. Previously partnerships editor and an associate editor at Devex, Richard brings to bear 15 years of experience as an editor in institutional communications, public affairs and international development. Based in Barcelona, his development experience includes stints in the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Ecuador, as well as extensive work travel in Africa and Asia.
