Within the European Voluntary Service (EVS) programme, young people can spend up to 12 months abroad as European volunteers helping in local projects in various fields. EVS represents Action 2 of the Youth in Action Programme
Volunteers in EVS projects participate in activities in different fields (like: environment, arts and culture, activities with children, young people or elderly, heritage, sports, etc.) which comply with the following general principles:
- Activities must:
- Take place in a country other than where the volunteer lives;
- Be non-profit-making and unpaid;
- Bring an added value to the host organisation and the local community;
- Not involve job substitution, nor be a substitute for military service or alternative service formulas;
- Last for a limited period, normally between 2 and 12 months.
- Activities should:
- Promote universal peace, dialogue, tolerance and solidarity;
- Contribute to building long-lasting and solid partnerships;
- Include exchange of youth work expertise and know-how;
- Give participants a better understanding of their own situations and cultures and help them explore their identities;
- Contribute to developing the voluntary sector and civil society.
- EVS is NOT...
- EVS is not occasional, unstructured, part-time volunteering.
- EVS is not an internship in an enterprise.
- EVS is not a paid job and must not substitute paid jobs.
- EVS is not a recreation or tourist activity.
- EVS is not a language course.
- EVS is not exploitation of cheap work force.
- EVS is not a period of study or vocational training abroad.
- EVS is not simply a funding scheme, but a quality model of transnational voluntary service.
