The Fundació Catalunya Voluntària, as part of the SCE promoter group, has submitted a proposal to the National Youth Institute (INJUVE) to organize the 3-days event ‘Building the European Civic Service-SCE program (Improving the present-Transforming the future)’.
The proposal, if it receives the requested support, will allow 36 representatives of the same number of non-governmental and non-profit organizations from all the Spanish regions, to meet from October 19 to 23, 2023 in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Catalonia), with a very specific objective: to jointly and collaboratively design a solid proposal for the creation of a European Civic Service program.
The SCE program must make it possible for young people to take part in short and long-term European Civic Service activities in their place of residence, in another region of the same country and in another European country.
The organizations will be selected based on their commitment to helping to design and start up the program, as well as contributing their knowledge on various topics, from the management of community programs (such as the European Solidarity Corps program, formerly ‘ European Voluntary Service’ , of the European Commission), to the knowledge of the needs of young people and vulnerable groups in their respective territories, groups that can benefit most from the existence of said program and the help of its participants (civil servants).
The main results of the event are: 1) reach a commitment to collaboration and networking between the participating organizations, for the implementation of a pilot program of European Civic Service; 2) the creation of a realistic, solid, well thought out and designed proposal, resulting from the contributions of the participating organizations and 3) reach the support and complicity of the authorities responsible for the administrative (financial, management) and legislative aspects for the establishment of an SCE program with continuity and stability over time.
The proposal is promoted by a team made up of 5 organizations: the Arrabal (Malaga, Andalousia) and Mundus (Saragosse, Aragon) associations, the Children and Youth Free Time Coordinating body of Vallecas (Madrid), the Collective for a European Civic Service (France) and the FCV (Barcelona, Catalonia).
Our idea is to find the best way the new SCE program joints efforts and synergies with other community action programs, and national and international civic service programs, which have existed for decades in Europe.
The FCV has host civic service activities carried out by young people, thanks to the support of the German, French and Italian governments. FCV promoted a European research on the specific subject of Civic Service (led by the Office of Civic Service of the Italian Government, with the support of the European Commission). It is surprising to find out that there are no one single civic, civil or community service program created anywhere in Spain since the democracy times more than 40 years ago, despite being these programs considered part of the fundamental right to participate in topics of public interest.
For more information about this initiative, you can send an email to projectes@catalunyavoluntaria.cat