The EU has designated 2011 as the "European Year of Volunteering".

In the European Union, almost 100 million citizens of all ages inest their time, talents
and mone! to ma"e a positie contri#ution to their communit! #! olunteering in ciil
societ! organisations, !outh clu#s, hospitals, schools, in sport clu#s, etc. $or the
%ommission, olunteering is an actie e&pression of ciic participation which
strengthens common European alues such as solidarit! and social cohesion.
Volunteering also proides important learning opportunities, #ecause inolement in
oluntar! actiities can proide people 'ith ne' s"ills and competences that can een
improe their emplo!a#ilit!. This is especiall! important at this time of economic crisis.
Volunteering pla!s an important role in sectors as aried and dierse as education,
!outh, culture, sport, enironment, health, social care, consumer protection,
humanitarian aid, deelopment polic!, research, e(ual opportunities and e&ternal
relations.
Objectives of the Year: The EU 'ill use the Year to 'or" to'ards four main
o#)ecties*
1. To create an ena#ling and facilitating enironment for olunteering in the EU+
2. To empo'er olunteer organisations and improe the (ualit! of olunteering+
,. To re'ard and recognise olunteering actiities+ and
-. To raise a'areness of the alue and importance of olunteering.
The %ommission e&pects that the European Year of Volunteering 'ill lead to an
increase in olunteering and to greater a'areness of its added alue, and that it 'ill
highlight the lin" #et'een oluntar! engagement at local leel and its significance in the
'ider European conte&t.
The aim is to inole all leels . European, national, regional and local, #ut the
emphasis is er! much on a #ottom/up approach. In this 'a! the o'nership of the
European Year shall remain as much as possi#le 'ith the olunteers and the olunteer
organisations.
Activities:
There are man! interested parties who are getting inoled in the Year. The
European %ommission is also planning a range of actiities. These include
communication and
a'areness/raising measures 0EYV Tour, EYV 1ela!, EYV 2e#site, Thematic
conferences3.
A) Say who or what the underlined words in the text refer to.
1. their
2. 'hich
,. its
-. 'ho
4. These
B) Answer the questions about the text.
1. 2ho designated 2011 as the "European Year of Volunteering"5
2. In 'hich areas can 'e do olunteering5
,. 6ccording to the European %ommission, 'hich alues does ciic participation
strengthen5
-. 2h! does olunteering proide important learning opportunities5
4. $rom the o#)ecties of the !ear, choose the one !ou thin" is the most important.
7ustif! !our ans'er.
8. 9ame some of the actiities the European %ommission is planning for the ne&t
!ear.
) To!ics for discussion.
1. :efine olunteering.
2. %an !ou list some reasons 'h! people olunteer5
,. 2hat are olunteer actiities that people do5
-. 2hat #enefits ma! !ou get #! olunteering5
4. Is there a histor! of olunteerism in !our countr!5
8. Tr! to descri#e the t'o pictures in this handout. Tr! to e&plain the meaning of
the raising hands in the preious page.