We welcomed more than 100 people in person and more than 600 others connected live via Zoom, with the option of Spanish/French interpretation. We were honored to have the support of the San Ignacio de Loyola University, the Alliance Française de Lima and the French Embassy in Peru to welcome us in their facilities for different moments: panels, workshops, networking spaces as well as the cocktail at the residence of the French Ambassador in Peru, Mr. Marc Giacomini.

Organized in the framework of phase II of the EnLAzando regional program, which runs from 2022-2024, the seminar had the following objectives:

• Share strategic knowledge accessible to the volunteering ecosystem,
• Offer spaces for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and good practices that promote joint reflection and articulation between actors,
• Position volunteering as an element of sectoral or multi-sectoral public policies at national and local level and as the subject of a specific public policy in Latin America.

The event was divided into 3 days, each with a different theme: “Day 1 – Connect and create opportunities” ; “Day 2 – Learn with key actors” and “Day 3 – Create solutions to the challenges of volunteering “. Participants were able to attend a wide range of panels, inspiring talks and workshops, with the aim of reflecting on volunteering in Latin America, to promote good practices and to foster new ideas.

Agenda

Day 1: Connect and create opportunities

• Inspiring talk – EnLAzando: Strengthening volunteering ecosystems in the region;
• Panel 1 – Volunteering, a tool for youth empowerment;
• Panel 2 – From Norm to Action – Legal Frameworks;
• Inspiring talk – Fonselp: Volunteering measurement and management tool.

Day 2: Learn with key actors

• • Panel 3 – Measuring for Action: Volunteering and its impact;
  • Inspiring talk – Volunteering in indigenous communities;
  • Exchange workshops – Let’s learn together;
  • Panel 4 – Caring for the Planet: Environment and the Role of Volunteering;
  • Inspiring talk – Prevention and response to sexual violence in volunteering.

Day 3: Create solutions to the challenges of volunteering

• • Panel 5 – The Role of Territorial Governments in the Development of Volunteering;
  • EnLAzando Challenge: Let’s imagine together;
  • Sharing results of the EnLAzando Challenge;
  • Conclusions and closing of the event.

Mrs. Matilde Del Carmen Cobeña Vásquez, Vice-minister of Women and Vulnerable Communities in Peru

Key issues for the future of volunteering

During the seminar, crucial issues for the future of volunteering in the region were addressed. These included assessing the legal frameworks for volunteering, the role of local governments in its development, measuring volunteering and its impact, involvement for the environment and opportunities for youth empowerment. These discussions and reflections helped to draw a path for strengthening volunteering in Latin America.

Inspiring statements

To open the seminar, we were honored to listen to several inspiring statements from key actors in the development of volunteering at the international level. Thomas Cosse, Director of the Volunteering Network and Programs at France Volontaires, thanked the participants and highlighted the importance of the event. “We share a common vision. National and international volunteering is a powerful response to mobilize citizens committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. Volunteering is a great collaboration between countries and connection between populations,” said Thomas Cosse.

Elena Rosa Ramos Tenorio, General Director of the General Direction of Population, Development and Volunteering of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations of Peru, a very important partner of France Volontaires in the country, emphasized the importance of recognizing volunteering as a tool for the transformation of society: “If we had to identify a transversal line to the challenges we face, it is to have greater knowledge and promotion of volunteering as a transversal activity, aimed at improving living conditions and exercising citizenship rights by vulnerable populations in our countries. I believe that the fundamental challenge for the state is to guarantee the autonomy of volunteer organizations, to recognize the voluntary and civic nature of the exercise of participating in a volunteer organization“.

Lucas Pedrol-Margaley, policy advisor on volunteering at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MAEA), thanked all participants for their valuable contributions during the seminar: “For the MEAE and France Volontaires, it has always been a challenge and a source of pride to build and co-create the dynamics of volunteering in France and Latin America, and we are proud to have been able to participate and learn from all participants, including institutions, civil society and volunteers.

History of EnLAzando and future of volunteering

Since 2019, France Volontaires has created regional meeting spaces that have culminated in the EnLAzando program. This program aims to strengthen volunteering ecosystems in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru, partnering with France, to promote a common culture that encourages responsible and supportive volunteering. Funded by the MEAE and implemented by France Volontaires, EnLAzando brings together the State, local authorities and organizations around a mission of general interest: the development and promotion of international exchange and solidarity volunteering.

Formalization of the Latin American Network of Volunteers

One of the highlights of the seminar was the signing of the act of constitution of the Latin American Volunteer Network by leaders of volunteer networks and organizations from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and France. This international network seeks to enhance the functioning and scope of volunteer organizations in Latin America, promoting the exchange of good practices, knowledge, resources and experiences among its members. In addition, the network is proposed as a space for collaboration between civil society, national governments, socially responsible companies and international organizations.

A promising future

The International Seminar “EnLAzando el Voluntariado en Latinoamérica 2024” has been a resounding success, consolidating partnerships and charting new paths for the development of volunteering in the region. Thanks to the efforts of all participants and organizers, great strides have been made towards greater collaboration and strengthening of volunteerism in Latin America.

 

Managing the emergency: France Volontaires is working closely with volunteers, its member associations, and the authorities

Working jointly with the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and its member associations,  France Volontaires has been committed from the start of this health crisis to ensuring the safety of the volunteers, as well as its teams, and to keeping the international volunteerism stakeholders well-informed.

On March 7, as a result of a first meeting with MEAE’s Task Force, and in accordance with its safety procedures, France Volontaires decided to activate its crisis unit and to prohibit international travel by its staff members and volunteers. France Volontaires also quickly adapted its operational plans to include regular distribution of health recommendations, the closing of Volunteering Centers to the public, and placement of all staff members on teleworking status. (Read the March 19, 2020 press release.)

Internationally, as well as in France, France Volontaires has focused on facilitating the implementation of MEAE decisions and a fruitful dialogue between stakeholders:

• France Volontaires’ Volunteering Centers and branches, in support of the embassies, were therefore mobilized to survey the volunteers and ensure their safety. Through its international network, FV is expediting the flow of information among volunteers, partner organizations, embassies, and the national authorities, as well as assisting with the volunteers’ repatriation process when needed. Volunteers—whether they have returned to France or have remained in the country to which they were assigned—will continue to benefit from France Volontaires’ full support. By working in tandem with the embassies’ crisis units, Volunteering Centers provide invaluable monitoring of the way health conditions are evolving in each country.

At the same time, France Volontaires has endeavored to foster accurate information and the coordination of international volunteer organization stakeholders in France. For example, as of March 11, in cooperation with the MEAE, France Volontaires organized a health crisis briefing for volunteering stakeholders and, in particular, those of Volontariat de solidarité internationale (VSI) [Volunteers for International Solidarity (VIS)]. This first exchange was extended by organizing seven geographic meetings which, with the participation of  the managers of the Volunteering Center and other volunteer organizations, made it possible to review a detailed update of each country’s situation. Also noteworthy is the special meeting devoted to international civic service co-organized by France Volontaires and Agence du Service Civique on April 30, attended by 80 participants.

Volunteering Centers are fully involved in 25 countries

Repatriations and other urgent matters

To cope with this urgent situation, Volunteering Centers have been fully mobilized to repatriate French volunteers, whether they are at the end of their mission, in a vulnerable situation, or on a volunteer mission not covered by the volunteering services of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (trainees, unpaid staff members, etc). As a result of the backing and support of France Volontaires’ field teams, 548 volunteers have been able to return to their homes in France.

In addition to their close cooperation with  embassies and consulates and their administrative procedures, some Volunteering Centers have also offered to assist volunteers with housing and transportation. In Peru, France Volontaires’ team offers a database listing the housing available in the capital that can accommodate volunteers passing through prior to taking their return flight. In the Philippines, the Volunteering Center can also provide accommodations in urgent cases, and accompanies volunteers to the Manila airport because the use of public transportation is prohibited. In Senegal, volunteers have been relocated to Dakar, and have benefited from emergency homestay accommodations.

France Volontaires’ priority: to provide support to volunteers and organizations

Providing support and maintaining close relations with organizations are the watchwords behind our Volunteering Centers’ initiatives. To date, no fewer than 1,426 volunteers have been supported, and 1,374 requests from volunteers, hosting and sending organizations (some of whom are members of France Volontaires’ platform), expatriates, and embassies, have been processed to date. Our key concerns have been amission adaptation, or simply support requests.

All available digital communication tools are deployed to assist volunteers remaining in the field, as well as hosting and sending organizations. In addition to personalized and individual support, Volunteering Centers offer volunteers a way to contact each other via remote access, providing regular opportunities for discussion and information-sharing. This is especially true in Ecuador, which organizes information sharing sessions among volunteers and among hosting organizations, as well as in Tunisia, with its “volunteer forums” that enable volunteers to communicate three times a week with the Volunteering Center’s team, or in Madagascar, where support groups meet once or twice a week. The goal is to give volunteers a chance to share their opinions about the current situation, and exchange their experiences, concerns, thoughts, and desires for commitment, etc. This is a good way for France Volontaires’ teams to better understand the impact that this crisis is having on the volunteers’ daily lives and activities. In  Morocco and Ecuador, more formal discussion groups have also been formed, with thematic workshops (an on-line cooking course in Morocco, for example) and some creative or literary suggestions likely to strengthen relationships between the volunteers!

Promoting solidarity and participating in local initiatives

Volunteering Centers, which are firmly established in the partnering countries’ community and institutional organizations, are helping to promote local solidarity.

In Côte d’Ivoire, at the initiative of the Cercle français des affaires, France Volontaires has contributed to a donation of soap and hand sanitizers to two partner associations: Eau et Vie, which is at work in the Yopougon commune of northern Abidjan, and Imagine le monde in Gonzagueville, further to the south.

In Mauritania, the Volunteering Center is taking part in the initiative of Mauritania’s Ministry of Youth and Sport concerning the mobilization of young volunteers for the purpose of raising awareness about Covid-19 and assisting with food kit distributions. As an example, the Volunteering Center notably participated in the awareness and training session for unpaid staff prior to their deployment.

In Peru, the Volunteering Center is actively involved in the Soy Voluntario [I’m a Volunteer] platform and the #JuntosNosHacemosCargo [“We will beat this together”] campaign to help over 20,000 families in disadvantaged areas receive food aid (particularly those families benefiting from the assistance of French organizations, or those hosting international exchange and solidarity volunteers).

Volunteers who are committed

Worldwide, volunteers are keeping their commitments by adapting their initial mission as much as possible or to facilitate the fight against the pandemic.

Volunteers whose mission involves the health field and food security are obviously on the front line.

In the Congo, Guillaume, an international solidarity volunteer, is in charge of the Order of Malta’s clinic in Enyelle, in the northern part of the country. In particular, he takes in a broad awareness campaign in the various villages in that area. > Watch his video testimonial (in French)

In Guinea, Seny, a volunteer with the European initiative program, EU Aid Volunteers, is responsible for the safety and coordination of the World Food Program’s local representatives. The fight against Covid-19 is an integral part of his daily work: coordinating arrangements for the distribution of masks, gels, sanitary kits, thermometers, etc., as well as managing the vehicle fleet, access to the premises, quarantine of infected personnel, etc.

Other volunteers are also accounting for the dimension of the crisis in their commitments. Following are a few examples:

• In Mali, within the framework of the decentralized cooperation between Angers and Bamako, one volunteer delivered sanitary kits to six of the capital’s community health centers.
• In Madagascar, unpaid staff and volunteers of the association Grandir Dignement [Growing with Dignity] distributed emergency food and hygiene kits to 120 children under probationary supervision, or who had been released from prison, and to their families.
• In Tunisia, ten civic service volunteers (from Club Culturel Ali Belhouane, sent by Cieux de Mahdia, and from the Commissariat régional de la jeunesse de Mahdia, sent by the French department of Loire-Atlantique) mobilized for the regional campaign to collect donations in Tunis and Mahdia, as part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19, and also got involved in matters related to raising general public awareness of sanitary, health and social distancing measures.
• In Vietnam, two international solidarity volunteers, trained psychologists from Ecole des psychologues praticiens, are hosting an on-line psychological support unit for other volunteers based in Asia during this period. > More informations

See also: Video “Health Crisis: international volunteers remain mobilized worldwide”

In this video, volunteers from Cameroon, Congo, Ecuador, France, Tonga, Togo, and Vietnam tell us about their daily lives, explain how they adapted their mission to the Covid-19 situation, and share their vision of commitment. 

”This crisis has strengthened my vision of commitment in the humanitarian sector. At first, I was involved in the area of development, and wanted to work in the health field, but in this period of crisis, I realize that isolated populations are even more so now (…). It is in a time such as this that humanitarian action assumes its greatest significance. » Guillaume in the Congo

“I had a choice between staying or returning to France. I preferred to stay because we want to do more, we want to go beyond the demands of our first mission, we want to help the community in other ways (…) » Annabel in Ecuador

See also:

African Volunteers on assignment in France remain mobilized during the health crisis

Read other testimonials

Lucien, a doctor working on assignment with UNICEF in Cameroon, is helping to coordinate the response to Covid-19. He is mainly responsible for ordering incoming supplies, medicines and protective equipment, and community mobilization with Cameroon’s Red Cross

Alice, a volunteer working with the French Red Cross in Réunion and the Comoros, is primarily involved in setting up the ”Croix-Rouge chez vous” phone system that brings psychological support to isolated people, and also offers delivery of basic necessities and medicines

Members of France Volontaires on the front line

DCC Covid-19: update on volunteer management

La Guilde Testimonials: They are committed to fighting the pandemic

Solidarité Laïque: Spotlight on the Coronavirus: young people from 4 continents take action

GRET is adapting its field projects and preparing future initiatives