The young people aged between 17 and 30 can enroll in the European Solidarity Corps that is the new European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad. Those who want to register can chose the country where they want to work and the type of activity in which they are interested, indicating the experience they have. The project was presented to young people and youth organizations in an informal conference staged by the “MilleniuM” Training and Development Institute in cooperation with the SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus Resource Centre (SALTO EECA) on December 15, IPN reports.
Vitalie Cîrhană, coordinator of Erasmus+ Youth Info Centru in Moldova, said that within this program the young people can volunteer in the short and medium term. In the short term, applicants can choose periods of two weeks to two months that are suitable for students, for example during the summer vacation. In the long term, the young people can chose a period of two to 12 months. The young volunteers will not incur costs as these will be covered by the program, namely for accommodation, meals, travel and as pocket money. The volunteers become involved in the activities of nongovernmental organizations in the host country, depending on their specialization.
Marina Makarenko, of SALTO EECA, said the participants in the program will be able to become involved in such areas as education, health, social integration, support for the elderly people, environmental protection and others. The program offers the young people the opportunity to interact with young people from other countries, to improve knowledge of a foreign language, to make an exchange at cultural level, etc.
Gintautas Baranauskas, of the EU Delegation to Moldova, said the supporting, by a wide range of programs, of young people not only from the Republic of Moldova, but also from the regions is a priority for the European Union. Among these programs are Erasmus+: Youth in Action, the European Solidarity Corps and other education and research programs that help the young people to strengthen their capacities and to become active citizens. “Intercultural education and intercultural exchange are values of the European Union. That’s why we encourage and support different opportunities for the young people to know more cultures and to discover opportunities not only in the native country, being thus solidary with mates from other countries,” stated the official.
Ion Donea, head of the Youth Division of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, said for the authorities it is important to ensure the young people’s participation in decision making and, what is the most important thing, to ensure the mobility of young people. This means acquiring of abilities and skills, including experience at international level.
The program will last until 2027 and the implementers plan to involve about 500,000 volunteers from all over Europe in the period. Those who want to enroll in the program must access the official website of the program, create an account and indicate what skills they have, in what activities they are interested, their area of activity and the country to which they would like to go.
