Young Volunteers Association
The Association of Young Volunteers e. V. (VJF) is a Berlin association that organizes youth camps and social projects. It was founded in 1990 and has since implemented over a hundred projects and placed over 4,000 young people in camps.
The philosophy of the association is to spread the ideas of the volunteer movement on both a national and international level. For this purpose, projects are carried out in which young volunteers meet and in which non-formal education, participation and intercultural learning are conveyed. The association is based in Berlin .
VJF is a member of the sponsoring conference of the international youth community and youth social services. Internationally, the VJF currently holds the presidency of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations. She is a member of the Coordination Committee of International Voluntary Service Organizations (CCIVS).
Work camps
The VJF organizes around 30 to 40 international work camps in the new federal states every year , including the Ravensbrück memorial . and offers placement in international youth camps in over 70 countries around the world. Other projects can be found in the utilization of the former wall strip , in nature parks in Germany, for example on Rügen or in Brandenburg, as well as in various projects for the disabled. International projects range from trail work in the Grand Canyon to building schools in Burkina Faso or working on the Camino de Santiago in the Pyrenees .
The mostly two-week projects in areas such as the environment , art , culture or history are usually implemented by around 15 international participants each, with half often coming from the host country. Participants are not paid for their work, but receive room and board. The sense and purpose of a work camp is to use your own labor to make the world a little better in a few weeks and to make the world a little bit more aware of problems in society.
European Voluntary Service (EVS)
The VJF is an organization of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) accredited by the European Commission . The European Voluntary Service is a European Union program that promotes youth exchanges in long-term projects within EU member states and between EU countries and third countries.
The European Voluntary Service is not a substitute for military service or community service. The only condition for the European Voluntary Service is that the participant is between 18 and 30 years old and has permanent residence in a country admitted to the program. Nationality, level of education or social origin are irrelevant. The EVS lasts six to twelve months.
More than 80,000 young people have already participated in EVS projects. The projects range from co-organizing the Arctic Winter Games in Greenland , youth work in Tunisia to working with disabled people in Italy .
Voluntary ecological year
The VJF also looks after more than 60 young people every year as part of the Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ). In 1991, the VJF was one of the first providers of the FÖJ in the new federal states and looks after young people between the ages of 16 and 26. A FÖJ gives them the opportunity to make a practical contribution to environmental protection with their work for a year, to bridge a waiting period sensibly and to orientate themselves professionally.
Project and meeting place
The Association of Young Volunteers organizes seminars and training courses in the association's project and meeting place in Berlin-Köpenick, directly on the shores of Lake Langen . Not only does the preparation of camp leaders and participants take place here, but also international events to impart methodological skills and personal development . In addition, school classes and other groups have the opportunity to find accommodation and relaxation in Berlin's green south all year round.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ The Association of Young Volunteers on the side of the Berlin Senate Administration, Environment
- ^ Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations
- ↑ Coordination Committees of International Voluntary Service Organizations (CCIVS)
- ↑ Work camps in the memorial and memorial of the Ravensbrück concentration camp
- ^ The VJF at the European Commission
- ↑ Printed matter 15/11 269, 15th electoral period, Berlin House of Representatives ( Memento of the original from October 18, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on ecological voluntary service - exchange between Berlin and countries in Central and Eastern Europe (PDF file)
- ↑ Youth for Europe brochure ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file)
