Charter of the International network of Volunteers for the Environment, Heritage and sustainable Development dowload charter I - Preamble The RIVE network (International Network of Volunteers for the Environment, Heritage and Sustainable Development, previously REVEP) is a programme that has been operational since 1996 under the ongoing supervision of the Grouping of European Campuses (GEC). It takes place in the framework of the European Commission’s “European Voluntary Service for Young People”. This programme is available to young adults between 18 and 25 years old, residing in a country of the European Union, a country that has applied for accession to the EU or a country of the Mediterranean region. Its purpose is to provide these young people with qualifying experience by enabling them to participate in 6 to 12 month Voluntary Service projects in the areas of local sustainable development, the environment or heritage preservation. Private and public organisations which provide hosting projects for volunteers can be found throughout European Union countries, central and Eastern Europe and in Mediterranean countries. The present charter will provide for the RIVE programme a framework for the participation of hosting organisations as well as guidelines for the activities of the young volunteers themselves. II - A valuable specificity – reciprocal commitments The coherence and viability of RIVE depend on a certain number of characteristics and commitments: • Young active volunteers as a target audience The programme is aimed at young people from 18 to 25 years old, residing in a European Union country or a Mediterranean partner country, irrespective of their nationality. No particular level of training is required, although it is preferable to have some technical skill to contribute to the development of local resources. This can be in a variety of spheres such as the environment, tourism, agriculture, architecture, regional development, economic activities, etc. Through his or her voluntary commitment, the young volunteer takes part in the activities of a non-profit making organisation, contributing with his or her cultural background, personality, openness, energy, skills, knowledge and creativity. He or she should try to discover and appreciate another culture, integrating a foreign community and actively participating in activities that are beneficial to the local community. The volunteer accepts the conditions in which his or her participation has been agreed, as long as they conform to the present charter and to the tripartite agreement that binds him or her to the GEC and to the hosting organisation. His or her behaviour must respect at all times, in work and daily life, local constraints and customs. The volunteer agrees to uphold the spirit of the European Voluntary Service as defined by the European Commission and described in an annexe to the tripartite agreement. • Experienced hosting organisations The hosting organisations must assume effective responsibility for the volunteers’ service and ensure it is part of a project of general interest. They must ensure further that the assignments are well planned, with sufficient long-term technical back-up, that the volunteers are integrated in the host environment and that they have established working relationships with other local public and professional groups. They must be able to carry out adequate results assessments. A hosting organisation must recognize that, in consideration of their specific status, volunteers are not necessarily expected to comply with the same rules and obligations as permanent paid staff. • Innovative voluntary service projects in a perspective of sustainable development The Voluntary Service projects are to be based on themes linked to the sustainable development of a given region, to the environment, to local development, or to the preservation of local heritage. Services can therefore be carried out in either urban or rural environments. Voluntary Service within RIVE is a means at the disposal of a local project. It is not an end in itself. The projects should therefore present certain characteristics: Common objectives: - Encourage participation and awareness of young people with regard to community initiatives in the field of voluntary work, with a view to reinforcing European and Euro-Mediterranean citizenship. - Provide young people with training experience by enabling them to take part in educationally valuable field projects which contribute to local development. The framework of voluntary service should enhance their personal autonomy and prepare them for professional life. - Provide a tangible contribution to local projects trough a Voluntary Service of “intellectual skills”. The participation in the programme should not be seen simply as a training opportunity. Interaction with local actors and organisations should be sought in order to guarantee the integration of the project within a wider context of local development dynamics. Voluntary activities should provide a real service or benefit to the host community, but should in no way replace a real or potential salaried position. A method: - Teams of volunteers are made up of 1 to 4 young people, preferably with varied skills and cultural backgrounds. - One member of the hosting organisation acts as the supervisor for the team of volunteers and, during the first month, has the particular responsibility of ensuring that the volunteers get to know the local context and start learning the language. This person also supervises the start-up of the work. - The project must be well prepared by the hosting organisation prior to the RIVE assignment, optimising the volunteers’ work when it starts. - Prior to the assignment, the selected volunteers must be provided with detailed information about the project being undertaken and the work they will be expected to carry out, as well as more general information relating to their living conditions and the local cultural context. - Volunteers are expected to produce results in accordance with precise objectives and effectively contribute to the local project. Plans must therefore be drawn up accordingly. - The hosting organisation is expected to provide the volunteers with adequate food, lodging, transport and living conditions as well as the tools and an environment suitable for carrying out the assignment. - The local population should be encouraged to take part throughout the project. Upon completion of the assignment, the team of volunteers should carry out a final restitution to the public of the work accomplished. - Hosting organisations and volunteers must both submit an evaluation report after the RIVE project is completed. Constraints : - RIVE assignments are restricted to a period of 6 to 12 months. However, the same organisation can host successive volunteers. - Hosting costs are determined according to variable scales depending on the country. Expenses for which compensation can be claimed from the European Union are determined by a provisional budget. Only costs that are directly linked to the stay and work of the volunteers can be claimed in this way. • The GEC’s commitment: De son côté, le GEC assure une gestion transparente et rigoureuse du programme. Il s’efforce de résoudre les difficultés rencontrées par les jeunes ou les structures d’accueil, le plus en amont possible. Il assure une animation et un suivi du programme de façon permanente et informe régulièrement les partenaires sur son déroulement. III - RIVE is part of a trans-national cooperation network led by the GEC The Grouping of European Campuses integrates RIVE projects in a trans-national cooperation network to which they all contribute and which functions on several levels: - Prior to the assignments, the different organisations involved in setting up the hosting projects work together in the fields of technical preparation, training of personnel in charge of the volunteers, cross-referenced recruiting between the different hosting projects, exchange of information on the RIVE website, with access to complementary information about the various projects. - In the course of the assignments, the GEC facilitates regular communication between hosting organisations and volunteers spread across Europe and the Mediterranean, particularly by using the RIVE web site (transfer of data, methods and various information thanks to the monthly information sheets that can be completed and accessed by computer). - After the assignments, RIVE participants take part in a final evaluation seminar that produces an assessment of results and experience, and draws up proposals for future improvements. IV - The implementation of this charter The successful realisation of the RIVE voluntary programme is conditioned by the explicit commitment of all involved parties to the implementation of this quality charter. The Grouping of European Campuses is committed to ensuring the implementation of the present charter by all RIVE participants – the hosting organisations, the volunteers and the programme coordinators within the GEC. Charter approved in Avignon, 24th February 2001. Retour