London after being European Capital of Volunteering in 2016 cedes the capital of Volunteering to Sligo, an Irish municipality with a population of 20,000.
It is an award that was created by the European Volunteer Center, which awarded Barcelona as the first European Volunteer Capital in 2014. It was followed by Lisbon (2015) and London (2016).
The characteristics that promote being European Capital of Volunteering are:
On the one hand, volunteer organizations have the knowledge of rights and duties of volunteers. In addition, volunteering strategies link the Public Administration with Third Sector entities and therefore there are good synergies to work together and have a good connection. In the other hand, volunteer training is recognized and volunteers are publicly valued, also with campaigns that promote and encourage future volunteers to work especially with people at risk of social exclusion.
Sligo’s successor during 2018 will be Aarhus . The Danish municipality stands out for its “strategy for active citizenship that is nurtured by a clear and appropriate funding mechanism for volunteering by non-profit organizations,” the jury said. In addition, they also point out that the way volunteering policies are linked to employability, health and social inclusion strategies is an example for other cities.
Full article a xarxanet.org