 International Center for Intercultural Research, Learning and Dialogue (ICIRLD) is a sending and hosting organisation in Armenia for the European Voluntary Service (EVS). This means that if you're under 30, and live in Europe, we can apply for funding for you to volunteer with us, or with any other European or partner country host organisation.
What is European Voluntary Service (EVS)?
The European Voluntary Service (EVS) is part of the YOUTH programme , a European Union programme that promotes the mobility of young people through international activities with a non-formal education dimension such as youth exchanges, voluntary services, youth initiatives and training of youth workers. EVS offers young people the opportunity to volunteer in another country, normally for a period of three, six, nine or twelve months. A wide variety of placements can be found in the social, cultural, environmental, and sports sector. Each project has three partners: a volunteer, a sending organisation and a host organisation. EVS provides the funding to cover the volunteer's costs.
Voluntary activities should: - Take place in another country, be non-profit making, unpaid and not involve job-substitution
- Last for a specified period of time (normally between six and twelve months)
- Be planned, implemented and followed up as a partnership between a volunteer, their Sending and their Host Organisation
Where can you volunteer under EVS?
EVS projects can take place in both Programme Countries and Partner Countries. Programme Countries include the Member States of the European Union, the EFTA/EEA countries and pre-accession countries. Some EVS projects can take place in partner regions of the European Union. These are Mediterranean partner countries, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region, South Eastern Europea (SEE), and Latin America. At least one of the countries involved in a project (either the sending country, where the volunteer is from, or the host country, where the volunteer is going) must be a programme country.
The Programme Countries are: - The 27 EU Member States, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Turkey.
The Neighbouring Partner Countries are: - South East Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia.
- Eastern Europe and Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine.
- Mediterranean Partner Countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Syria, Tunisia.
Other Partner Countries, under the 'Countries of the World' programme, include: - Latin America, Africa and the Pacific and Caribbean countries and Asia.
There is more funding available to volunteer within a programme country.
What costs does EVS cover for you as a volunteer? - Your international travel - covers reasonable travel costs from your home to the host organisation. Available only when you use the cheapest available form of travel. Usually this is by plane; however since we at Firefly are trying to encourage greener travel, we'll try to work out an overland alterative if you're up for it! A copy of the ticket(s) must be attached to the final report.
- Exceptional volunteer costs - any reasonable and justifiable costs related to the special needs of the volunteer (medical attendance, additional preparation, etc).
- A volunteer's allowance, fixed per host country, and paid in full to the host organisation to be given to the volunteer weekly or monthly.
- Your accommodation and food costs.
- Insurance - all volunteers are insured against sickness, accidents, permanent invalidity, and repatriation in case of serious illness, accident, and death. The insurance also covers civil liability.
ICIRLD can help you, by acting as your hosting or sending organisation:
- If you live in Armenia, and want to volunteer abroad, we can act as your sending organisation. Together we can consult the database of approved host placements to find something that suits you, or suggest partner organisations that we've worked with before, and apply for the funding you'll need.
- If you live anywhere in Europe, and want to volunteer with us in Armenia, we can discuss potential projects with you and if you decide you want to volunteer with us, we can apply for funding on your behalf.
What should you do to become an EVS volunteer?
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EVS Activity Info 
