The European Commission has designated 2011 to be the European Year of Volunteering (EYV).

The motto is: Volunteer! Make a difference!

The main strategic goals behind this event are to promote civic participation, solidarity, and social cohesion within the background scenery of strengthening European citizenship.

At times of economic crisis, promoting volunteering and active citizenship is trusted to be a potential way out. Volunteering is believed to provide important learning opportunities, as involvement in voluntary activities can provide people with new skills and competences that can improve their employability. In addition, volunteering plays an important role in sectors as varied and diverse as education, youth, culture, sport, environment, health, social care, consumer protection, humanitarian aid, development policy, research, equal opportunities and external relations.

The organics of the EYV reflect precisely this cross-sectorial partnership as several departments (DG´s) are working closely together on this initiative, including the European Commission Vice-President, in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship.

Another improvement, the European Commission will work in close cooperation with the EYV 2011 Alliance, informal network of major NGO European networks with a particular interest in volunteering who have committed to working together on the promotion, lobbying, organisation and implementation of the EYV 2011.

The new 2011 Year´s website is online and the agenda is already full of events and proposals, take a look:

European Year of Volunteering

The LabforCulture.org will surely come back to this issue throughout this upcomming year as the promotion of active collaborations across the cultural sector and in connection with all fields of society is part of our mission.

By now, to better prepare your arguments we advice you to read:

Volunteer and enjoy your holidays!

Why volunteering in the arts is important?

As volunteering is also about activism, big causes, and finding better ways to live together, we also suggest:

We are More

Climate Change: Artists respond

HAVE A GREAT 2011!          MAKE IT HAPPEN!