RAI - Social Action Department

Guidelines

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE

1. What is voluntary service?

Voluntary service is a personal choice fundamentally. Whatever sector, it is a person's answer to emergency, poverty and unjust situations. Those who are committed to international solidarity, both in Italy and in the poorest countries, match the denunciation of injustice and the will to change and overcome the inequalities, addressing their actions towards concrete and coherent commitments. This is the reason why the International Voluntary Service also express a deep political dimension. The volunteer is asked to contribute to create justice situations, combating all the obstacles created by human egoism and the wrong mechanisms of distributing wealth. Such political option is the basis of the volunteer's actions, characterized by an international solidarity programme and technical and professional competences. In addition to this, those who are involved into Christian-orientated non-governmental organizations – like Volunteers in the world – refer to the Christian values of solidarity commitment. The components that, differently combined, respond to the emergencies of the South of the world that motivate and activate the international initiatives, are professionalism and gratuity of the service, personal commitment and planning, personal growth and realization, the spirit of renunciation and institutional protection and guarantee. Professionalism and volunteer's competences would not be enough to justify the number of people sent to countries where, in the local workforce, there are highly qualified professionals: the richness and potential of the International Voluntary Service lie in exchanging and sharing cultural respect.

2. The identikit of the international volunteer

Although there is not a universal model for the international volunteer, there are characteristics such as strong motivation, gratuity and awareness, that depict an effective identikit. Such characteristics will have a degree of importance according to the non-profit and the development project the volunteer is working on.
Volunteer's professional skills
Competences, training and work experience are the basis on which the volunteer is assigned to a project. It is therefore important to consider the service experience in the South of the world as a professional growth.
Personal characteristics and skills
The main personal characteristics are: communication skills, stress management, decision-making, negotiation skills, team-working and management skills.

Training

This is a paramount condition to become an international volunteer: the objective of non-profit organizations is to match professional skills and awareness and preparation in the cooperation.

3. Sector of employment of the volunteers

For further details about the sector of employment:

http://www.focsiv.org/impegno/progetti/numerisettori.php

4. Training

It is not possible to improvise as operators of International Solidarity. Whether the commitment is undertaken in Italy or in Africa, or Latin America, Asia or Eastern Europe, it is necessary that the person is properly trained from a technical point of view, and that they are aware of the role they are going to play in the programme, its motivation and the complex relationships among the people involved. For this reason, there are several accessible training courses: schools of researches on the themes of international cooperation, for those who are interested in improving their knowledge on it, and training courses for the leaving volunteers.

For further details: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/oppform.php
International Cooperation Politics and Development School

Promoted by the Volunteers in the world-FOCSIV in collaboration with Caritas Italiana and U.C.S.E.I. (Foreign Student in Italy Headquarters) and sponsored by Pontificia Università Gregoriana, SPICeS is a specialization school on the themes of the international politics and development cooperation, aimed at creating an international solidarity culture in the civil society as a way of relationship among people and as objective of the foreign policy of the countries.
The curriculum offers:

160-hour tuitions divided in two separate areas of study, the international political-judicial area and the international social-economical area, both introduced by a general area and one module on the cycle of the project;
a STAGE (from 80 hour to 3 months), either in Italy or abroad, in a non-profit organization, or in an Association, or in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
a dissertation or a group project on one of the topics treated during the theoretical part of the course or during the stage.

According to the identity of Volunteers in the world-FOCSIV, the School bases the study of the subjects on the Social Doctrine of the Church. SPICeS, operating since 1991, works with university professors, International Organizations personnel and Non-Profit Organizations with the theoretical preparation and the experience on spot of governmental officials particularly sensitive to the themes of development cooperation that introduce the SPICeS students in the complex world.
For further details: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/spices/cosa.php
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE TRANING COURSES
A lot of Organizations associated to Volunteers in the world-FOCSIV promote initiatives of International Voluntary Service Training using the same themes and methodology. These are different courses located in several Italian cities all year round.
The Courses aim at:

helping orientate and concretize an international solidarity commitment to be undertaken either in Italy or abroad;
providing a complete overview of the objectives, targets and methodologies of the Christian-based principles;
providing the basic knowledge on the project principles within the International Cooperation

The courses are addressed to:

those who wish to candidate as International Volunteers;
those who are bound to leave for a Development Cooperation Project;
those who wish to do the Civil Voluntary Service either in Italy or abroad;
those who wish to work for a period in the Voluntary Service Projects;
those who operate in Italy in the International Solidarity.

Methodology
The methodology adopted to realize the several formative offers actively involves the students, provides debates, relationships, and group work. Moreover, every Organization, in addition to the contents mentioned below, enriches the formative offer with further and specific themes, testimonies and analysis of the specific aspects of the work, in the South of the world and Italy.
The contents
The formative offer, organized by Non-Profit Organizations in different types of courses (Weekly Residential, week-end series, Cycles of Meeting) comprises the following thematic units of analysis and contents:

Social-anthropologic area: cross-cultural communication, cultural stereotypes, cross-cultural contacts, anthropology as richness and tool to deal with the international voluntary service experience.
Social-economical area: evolution of the concept of development, causes of under-development, unbalance North-South, historical synthesis of the development economical theories, human and sustainable development, the issue of the debt in the developing countries.
Project area: project aspects, elements and stages of a Development Cooperation project, relationship with fundraisers, concept of partnership, cases of study.
Psychological and skills area: negotiation skills, team work, motivation analysis, trouble-shooting, personal skills, volunteer's role,
Legislative and bureaucratic area: legislative and contract aspect, institutional relationships; rights and duties of volunteers.
Ethical and religious area: the Christian-based International Voluntary Service: ethical aspects and motivational aspects.

For further information: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/form_volint.php

5. How to apply

Informative desk on Voluntary Service on International Voluntary Service. Tel.+39.066876706 informarvi@focsiv.it - www.focsiv.it

For those who approach the international voluntary service for the first time, and are willing to commit themselves, it is not difficult to understand the norms that are typical of the world of Cooperation. “InformarVi”, the Information Service on International Voluntary Service sponsored by Volunteers in the world- FOVCIS, has been created to offer this necessary orientation and cooperate concretely. The web page of “InformarVi” has become an effective means to address and manage information and further studies, like the calendar of the meetings realized in Italy, the opportunities and applications for International Voluntary Service, the civil voluntary service, the so-called “short experiences” in the South of the World (work field, responsible tourism travels), the United Nations Volunteers Programme, the fund-raising initiatives and the international campaigns for combating poverty.

For further information: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/candidatura.php

6. The civil voluntary service abroad

Doing the civil voluntary service in the international cooperation is today a further opportunity for young people, between the age of 18 and 28. The laws that regulate the cooperation and international solidarity activities are several, but equally interesting. Here the main laws:
The law that regulates the civil voluntary service is 64/01. The service lasts 12 months and there is a monthly financial coverage of 430 Euros approximately. According to this law, all the boys and girls of an age between 18 and 28 can apply for it. Every year, the National Office of Civil Service publishes a notice of competition to select volunteers to employ in the Civil Service projects, either in Italy and abroad. Those who are interested can apply for it at the agencies of civil service, that will select the applicants.
Civil Service in Italy
The young people who do the civil service in Volunteers in the world-FOCSIV are offered a concrete experience of commitment in the world of international cooperation, within the project “In Italy for an international commitment”, in particular they are involved in the following activities:

creating, sponsoring and realizing sensitivity campaigns on the themes of International Solidarity, formative programmes on international solidarity;
creation of tools for Development Training;
canalization of information on International Voluntary Service;
collaboration in the creation and organization of events like meetings, seminars, stands and exhibitions on international solidarity;
collaboration in managing some particular phases and aspects of cooperation projects for the developing countries;
collaboration in lobbying actions.

Civil Voluntary Service abroad
Volunteers in world – FOCSIV offers the opportunity to do the civil voluntary service abroad within the Project “White Helmets, humanitarian interventions in critical areas”. The project is sponsored by FOCSIV along with Association Pope John XXIII, Caritas Italiana and GAVCI, traditionally involved in difficult world areas aimed at peace keeping and more equal relationship construction. Those who choose to leave as White Helmet will work on activities aimed at overcoming injustice situations, causes of several conflicts, supporting the commitment of FOCSIV and that of the partners of the South of the world, operating in areas such as:

training
agricultural development
participated democracy
human rights and social development
health development
environment protection
solidarity economics

For further information about civil voluntary service applications: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/scv_est.php

7. United Nations Volunteer Programme

Created in 1970 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UNV programme is an operative partner in the development cooperation under request of the Member States of the United Nations. It cooperates with the governments, the Development Banks, Non-profit Organizations and United Nations Agencies (FAO, OIL, PAM, UNESCO, ACRNU, WHO, UNICEF). The United Nations Volunteers offer a wide range of activities: in the program register there are 115 professional categories. The employment sectors of the volunteers are basically those of the technical cooperation to development, of participated works addressed to the community, of humanitarian aid and reconstruction actions and peacekeeping operations, human rights and electoral surveillance. Today more than 1800 UN volunteers work in 13 peacekeeping operations in 14 countries. According to the data 2006, 56% of them work in Africa, 16% in Asia and the Pacific Area, 10% in the Arabic Countries, 11.4% in the Caribbean and in Central and South America and 63% in the new projects in Central-eastern Europe (increased compared the previous years). In Italy FOCSIV is a focal point for the recruitment of the Italian applicants to the UNV program.
For further information: http://www.focsiv.org/informarvi/unv.php

8. Analysis tools

VOLUNTEERS AND THE THIRD WORLD
The three-month magazine of the Federation is a means of study and analysis of the themes and issues concerning the relationship North-South. It is a useful publication for those who are interested in a further knowledge about the development of the people of the South of the world.
The annual subscription is 16 Euros
VOLUNTEERS FOR DEVELOPMENT
It is the common magazine of the Federation, a monthly issue to know the world better through the voice of the African and South-American journalists, reportages and exclusive reviews, as well as practical ideas for the readers: responsible tourism travels, research of volunteers, long-distance adoption, meetings, appointments and training courses.

The annual subscription is 25 Euros.

THE ISSUES OF THE INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE
It is the annual publication that contains the updates of the data about the operative volunteers, the works in progress in the South of the world, the activities in Italy and the financial aids of the Federation. The magazine is published along with the events organized on December 5th, the World Volunteer Day.

ANNUAL REPORT
It is the annual report of the activities and projects realized by the Federation and the Organizations associated. In particular, in the last year, the Federation has promoted the centrality of the human resources within the development cooperation, enhancing the fundamental contribution of the Organizations in the growth of a common consciousness of the concept of world and international solidarity. The report is available both in Italian and in English.

SERIES “QUADERNI” (NOTEBOOKS)
It is a series of notebooks on a single theme, a review dedicated on the analysis of specific issues. So far 59 have been published.
The recently published issues are:

cooperation and worldliness in the international law
training to cooperation
partnership and challenges of the international volunteers involved in projects in Kenya
Christian-orientated international voluntary service: comparative elements of the organizations in 16 European countries
a development culture to affirm people's rights
Christian-inspired international voluntary service. Comparative elements of organizations in 16 European Countries
Reports of the training seminars for the operative volunteers 1999
Reports of 30th Anniversary Convention FOCSIV

CODE OF THE INTERNATIONALISTIC SUBJECTS:

International Law and Institutions
Human rights
Armed conflict law
International cooperation
environment and development

The price is 6 Euros.

SERIES “STRUMENTI DI LAVORO” (WORK TOOLS)
It publishes and diffuses the reports of some important events sponsored by the Federation – like seminars and training courses – as well as some tools addressed to the operators.
Among the others, these have been already published:

the ONLUS decree and the circular letter n. 168/E issued on June 26th 1998 by the Ministry of Finance (acts of administrator seminars, 1998);
renewal of Lomz Convention;
micro-credit as new form of cooperation (acts of the seminar 1999);
immigration and solidarity: a statistics for the change (acts of the seminar 2000);
trade and solidarity. Reflections based on the Social Doctrine of the Church;
the invisible servility. A further analysis on housekeepers in the world;
Objective of the Millennium Development. The Shadow report by FOCSIV on the Objective 8: developing a global partnership for development (2005);
making the difference to reduce poverty at the 6th Ministry Conference of WHO in Hong Kong (2005);
methods and instruments for the selection process of international volunteers (acts of 2005 workshop);
a better world is possible (contribution to the Ecclesiastic Conference of Verona 2006);

The price of the issue is 3 Euros.
IL CAMMINO DELLA SOLIDARITA' (THE PATH OF SOLIDARITY)
The book, realized by the Volunteers in the world – FOCSIV in sponsorship with the non-profit organizations associated, describes the main international activities concerning the globalization and the interdependence and the experience of 25 year of international voluntary service with the partners of the South of the world. “Il cammino della solidarietà” (The path of solidarity) offers an image of the Federation through some examples of activities and projects realized by the organizations associated with the untiring work of the volunteers that, in the developing countries and in Italy, operate for the construction of a more just world. The objective of the publication is to sensitize the people to understand the centrality of human resources within the development cooperation and to stress the fundamental contribution of the Non-Profit Organizations in the growth of a common consciousness of the concept of worldliness and international solidarity.
The price of the book is 3 Euros.
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS
Seventy portraits to tell the experience of international volunteers, to give voice to those who operate for the development of the emerging countries, sometimes in dangerous situations. Realized on occasion of the International Volunteer Year (2001) with the contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and enriched by the pictures by Sebastiao Salgado, the book describes the reality of the international voluntary service as the expression of the Italian solidarity in the world. “International Volunteers” has been written both in Italian and in English, and in also available in CD-Rom version (only in Italian).
The price of the book (both in Italian and in English) is 8 Euros.
The price of the CD-Rom is 2 Euros.
30 YEARS FOR A STORY OF PEACE
Published on occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Volunteers in the world – FOCSIV, this book has been conceived with the objective of putting together all the different starting points and inspiration of the international voluntary service in order to renew them through enthusiasm.
The price of the single copy of 4 Euros.
GUIDE TO THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
Addressed to those who are, or want to be, international solidarity operators, the guide offers a series of further studies on the world of non-profit organizations, on the subjects of cooperation, on the activities of international voluntary service Volunteers in the world – FOCSIV and on the different form of commitment in Italy. A handbook to understand all the possibilities and the opportunities of concrete solidarity.
The price of the a single copy is 2 Euros.
DICTIONARY OF THE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
It is a valid and complete support on the themes of active citizenship and global governance in alphabetical order like a real dictionary.
Realized to meet the needs of the teachers of the Lower and Higher School, it has been also used by the students of the three years of High School, and it is also recommended for the treatment of global citizenship issues, like globalization, international trade, poverty, food right, alphabetization, water. Structured in thematic sessions, further analysis and methodologies, it will be an excellent support to the school syllabus.
GLOBAL KIT
It is an interactive support dedicated to teachers and educators involved in the training to the active world citizenship. It contains techniques and didactic methodologies to treat the global issues with participative methods. It is can be easily used by schools, parishes and educational agencies.
The price of a single copy is 5 Euros.
GOVERNING THE GLOBALIZATION: Guidebook for the World Citizens discovering Global Governance
The price of a single copy is 10 Euros.
It is a support structured as tourist guidebook, with pictures and useful travel tips, as well as specific information on the reform of United Nations, global governance, food sovereignty and trade. Conceived to accompany students and teachers in their tour to discover other European sites of global governance, it will be a helpful travel mate.
LAND IS LIFE. The objectives of Millennium Development and the South of the World
The document provides the opportunity to remark the position of FOCSIV about the right to food sovereignty, on food right and the value of land; a perspective that reinforces itself in the name of the Church Social Doctrine, for which “the deep nature of creation is a gift of God, a gift for all, and God wants it to remain so. For this the first imperative is to preserve the land in its nature of gift and blessing, instead of transforming it into means of power and reason of sharing”.
It has been observed that a sustainable future will not be possible for the rich countries, without the necessary attention to the exhaustion of energetic sources, at risk today, and without the promotion of “human development”.
The diffusion of Transgenic Organisms, the dynamic of international trade, the growing power of multinationals in the agricultural food chain, the growing concentration of land that is worrying also in Europe, and finally the migration policies connected with the employment of seasonal farmers, have social and economical falls not only in the South of the world but also in our country.
The document can be downloaded from the site www.focsiv.it
COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT: the International Rules
In the last ten years there has been a multidimensional concept of development, that involves several fields of intervention both public and private. The cooperation to development is a privileged tool in the relationships among countries and these and the civil society. The book, edited by Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, suggests an idea of international relationships and highlights how the right to development can easily facilitate a higher balance of the international society.
It arises from the support to the CODE FOR THE INTERNATIONALISTIC SUBJECTS (CD-rom attached to the book), a systematic collection of norms tests adopted on an international level, functional to the research and study for the analysis of the themes concerning the development cooperation, realized on the initiative of the Volunteers in the world – FOCSIV within the SPICeS – School of International Cooperation Development Policy.
The price of the volume with CD-rom is 18 Euros.
The price of CD-rom is 5 Euros.
http://www.focsiv.org/abbonati/abbonati.php