BASIC INFORMATION:

Period: 1 September 2016 – 31 August 2017 (exact dates to be confirmed)

 

Location: Rome, La Citta dell Utopia

 

Project language: English and Italian

 

Local language: Italian

 

Pocket money: 300 euro (for food, transport expenses, pocket money)

 

Accommodation: Double room in a flat with other volunteers

 

The selected volunteers will be notified by the end of March 2016.

 

SCI-Italy will follow its equal opportunities policy when selecting a volunteer.

 

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

 

The project will take place at "La Città dell’Utopia," a project of SCI-Italy in Rome, which can be defined as a social  and cultural laboratory working for a new model of  local and global development: balanced, sustainable and fair. The project originates from a reflection on the social consequences of the current economic crisis, affecting  – to various extent – all the European countries, Italy included. The crisis is seen as generating high rates of youth unemployment and increasingly common phenomena situations of social exclusion and even deviance. The project, acknowledging volunteering as a tool to generate human and social capital and a key factor for improving social cohesion, will actively involve the four EVS volunteers in the SCI-Italy’s activities (volunteering projects, raising awareness events) for the social inclusion of youth with fewer opportunities.The project is meant as a learning process for the EVS volunteers – which will be acknowledged in the Youthpass certificate – and the methods of non-formal education will be applied to ensure the process.

 

SCI-ITALY

 

The Service Civil International aims at developing solidarity and promoting tolerance between people, encouraging and supporting participation of youngsters in voluntary activities, both inside and outside the European Union. For this reason, SCI organizes activities and campaigns for the promotion of peace, international solidarity and mutual understanding; besides workcamps and long term voluntary projects. Activities organized by SCI, both at the international and local level, are coordinated by the National Secretary of SCI, which headquarter is located in Roma (via Cruto 43, Municipality Roma XV).  The area is well linked to the city center and to other areas through public transportation (metro and buses).

 

The National Secretary represents the reference point for SCI activities, but also for activists and volunteers who promote philosophy and projects of the Association. Volunteers will develop their program mainly in the headquarter of SCI Italy, with the supervision and follow up of SCI Staff.

 

The SCI-Italy “Utopia City” project started in 2001 and is located in San Paolo district (via Valeriano 3F – Roma) in the southern part of Rome. It’s a popular suburban area inhabited by a large number of elderly people, where also the number of families coming from Latin America, northeast Europe, Asia and Africa, is raising. During the last years the number of cultural local organizations whom SCI-Italy volunteers and activists cooperate with  is increasing. 

 

The main activities carried out in La Città dell’Utopia are the following: 

 

– organization and hosting of international workcamps, north/south exchanges and international youth meetings; 

 

-events to raise awareness on other cultures and countries, 

 

– organizing conferences, meetings, festival, exhibitions, video, theatre, thematic meals; courses (free or popular cost) of music, group dancing, tai chi, African percussion, belly dance, languages, ceramics, gardening, alphabetisation of informatics, theatre; workshops on sustainable life styles, such as recycling, composting, reduction in consumptions and renewable sources of energy, garbage recycling; promotion of participative forms of active citizenship. For more information: www.lacittadellutopia.it 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED EVS PROJECT:

 

– to involve European volunteers in the promotion of international voluntarism as a practice of active citizenship, intercultural education and personal and social growth;

 

– to spread news about the initiatives organized in Italy in order to promote the exchange and the intercultural respect, and to arouse interest in youngsters in actions which stimulate international solidarity;

 

– to give to volunteers the chance of actively participate in the implementation and development of a specific project, which constitutes an opportunity of individual growth;

 

– to strengthen, throughout team work and confrontation, the mutual comprehension between youngsters of different Countries.

 

VOLUNTEERS WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:

 

Two volunteers will be involved in the following activities, mainly at “La Città dell’Utopia”:

 

a) supporting the coordination of the work of local and international volunteers (groups and individuals) in order to ensure the running of the planned schedule;  

 

b) helping in the elaboration and the organization of public cultural events and workshops on active citizenship, especially regarding the communication, logistic and operational levels; 

 

c) implementing the international dimension through the coordination of international exchanges, work camps, seminars; 

 

d) informing  youngsters about the opportunities offered by the YOUTH IN ACTION program and other international exchanges; 

 

In the proper dynamic of the project it is important that the voluntary manages to find the possibility to develop a personal activity following the lines of the project and of the organization. In order to enable the volunteers to implement their personal projects, a permanent support will be proposed in order the realize his ideas and project within the “the Utopia City”. 

 

The volunteers should have a good attitude and will to work in touch with people. 

 

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR:

 

Reliable, communicative and very motivated volunteers. It's very important that each volunteer is used to working in a team, that he/she is sociable, has a sense of humour, is flexible in different situations (e.g.: to propose/invent some additional activities in a time when there won't be any other specific activities on the agenda and prepared to give an extra hand in a period full of current activities.).

 

Apply before the 23th of february to longterm@sci-cat.org:

 

– Send your CV 

 

– Send your motivation letter (explaining the reasons why you would like to be a volunteer in this project)