The Civil 20 Education and Digital Working Group organized an event “Center visit and talk organized by AYUDH Europe” on June 9, 2023.
Representatives of the Apprentis d’Auteuil and the Concordia association came to visit AYUDH Europe volunteers in la Ferme du Plessis, France, accompanied by their young volunteers. The aim of the visit was to get young people talking about their commitment to society, and to see how public policies such as Civic Service and the European Solidarity Corps can support this commitment.
The visit to the Center was followed by a presentation of ETW’s involvement in the C20, then by an exchange between the 12 volunteers on their experience of civic service and European volunteering, and finally by a time of sharing with the associations on the impact of receiving foreign volunteers in their structure.
This sharing showed that people engage in civic service or volunteering to open up a new non-formal learning space, an education for life that is highly complementary to academic education, which enables knowledge to be acquired. These voluntary involvements, supported by the French government and the European Commission, enable young people to meet new people, experience a culture different from their own, grow as human beings and find their way professionally. The young people then develop their autonomy within the host structures, which provide them with the framework and benevolence necessary for this development.
During the planned exchange between the 3 associations (ETW, Concordia and Apprentis d’Auteuil), the different associations were also able to share their experience of welcoming European volunteers into their structures, their contribution, and the enrichment this generates. These cultural exchanges also enable the associations to adapt to the needs of the young volunteers, to ensure that their stay goes smoothly and to foster their personal and professional development.
