EFN – Society is ours – what is it?
EFN is a network with all of IFM-SEI European Member Organisations. With the project Society is Ours! aim to explore the importance of civil society and how democratic participation is vital to the good functioning of the European Union in protecting and safeguarding fundamental rights, as well as sharing and identifying methods to combat shrinking civil space and promote civic engagement through volunteering in nonformal children’s and youth organisations.
This seminar was developed after analysing the needs and challenges faced by the partner organisations, as we have been facing similar obstacles in the recent years. We believe that only through coming together on a European level can we find ways to combat the barriers facing us.
Why Society is ours?
Civil society organisations are vital for working towards a more equal, just and sustainable world. Civil society acts as a critical voice to hold governments and policy makers to account, providing space for education and critical thinking, and putting democracy into action in our societies. Despite this, the space for civil society is shrinking around Europe, and child and youth organisations are part of this. Whether because of governments cutting funding for voluntary organisations as a result of austerity agendas, because of antiNGO legislation from rightwing governments attempting to shut down NGOs as they are seen as a threat, or because organisations are priced out of their meeting venues by the private and public sectors, civil society is at threat. This has become a reallife issue for some of our partner organisations, or former partners who have stopped operating in the European region, in one case because of a political block from their government.
Volunteering is being threatened due to challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers because of the impact individuals are facing in their employment, financial situations and family life as a result of a more precarious and less supportive society. We are seeing a rapid increase in the gig economy and zero hour contracts, the decimation of the welfare state and the privatisation of public services and utilities such as education, healthcare, transport and energy, and this causes significant impact on how much one can commit to volunteering and civil engagement. As individualism is being promoted as a value in our societies, we are also losing the spirit of volunteering, because when you have to take up extra jobs because to be able to pay your bills at the end of the month, or you need to decide whether to heat your home or put food on the table for your children, volunteering can no longer be a priority. This is having a significant impact on our partner organisations as their numbers are dwindling and groups are closing because of lack of volunteers.
Shrinking civil space, civic engagement and volunteering
Society is Ours! consisted of a four-day seminar on the 10-13 December 2020 that gathered 26 youth workers from 7 youth organisations. Although it was originally planned to take place in March in Antwerp, Flanders, due to the ongoing pandemic, the seminar was postponed and migrated to an online format.
This seminar explored the importance of civil society and how democratic participation is vital to the good functioning of the European Union in protecting and safeguarding fundamental rights, as well as sharing and identifying methods to combat shrinking civil space and promote civic engagement through volunteering in non-formal children’s and youth organisations. We are all facing similar obstacles, even if they manifest in different ways in different countries. Only through coming together on a regional level can we find ways to combat the barriers facing us.
What are the objectives?
- Identify the importance of democratic participation and the voluntary sector in society on a national and European level.
- Explore the barriers that voluntary organisations face across Europe and come up with mechanisms to combat shrinking civil space
- Analyse the realities of and barriers to volunteering and share realities and good practice around volunteer recruitment and retention.
- Highlight the importance of civil society in promoting European values and promote civic engagement through non-formal education.
- Equip youth workers with core competences to be advocates and multipliers for civil society and civic engagement.
Outputs of the project
Video
As part of the seminar, IFM-SEI created a video to spread awareness of the dimensions of voluntarism.
Social Media Campaign
During the seminar, we launched a campaign on social media on the topics of voluntarism and civil society.
Network
Network of 25 youth workers who will act as ambassadors of Civil Society and Civic Engagement
Project Partners
With the support of:
