making the world a better place Voluntary service for immigrants Polish Humanitarian Action Refugee and Repatriates Counselling Centre Polish Humanitarian Action Warsaw, 10th of March 2010 Maastricht, 2014
Voluntary Service in Poland Voluntary worker every natural person who voluntarily and without remuneration performs services for the benefit of an organisation, institution or individuals, going beyond friendly and family relations. Baking a cake for a neighbour is not voluntary service! The rules of voluntary service are described in the Public Benefit and Volunteer Work Act of 2003. All-Poland Network of Voluntary Service Centres (Ogólnopolska Sieć Centrów Wolontariatu), 45 NGOs www.wolontariat.org.pl The first Voluntary Service Centre was founded in 1993 in Warsaw.
Good Voluntary Service Programme 2010 The Unit for Social Innovation and Research Shipyard has conducted a research on the standards and processes of voluntary worker management in organisations and institutions in Poland 2013 The Shipyard Foundation and the All-Poland Network of Voluntary Service Centres cooperate in the scope of the Good Voluntary Service Programme The aims of the programme: To educate the organisations, institutions and voluntary workers To raise standards of cooperation To promote voluntary service www.dobrywolontariat.pl
Rights and obligations of a voluntary worker Obligations of a voluntary worker Needs to have qualifications and meet the requirements appropriate for a given type and scope of the performed services. Is obliged to perform the services in accordance with the concluded agreement.
Rights and obligations of a voluntary worker Rights of a voluntary worker Has the right to conclude an agreement of cooperation with an organisation or institution for the benefit of which he/she works If the voluntary service lasts more than 30 days, the agreement must be concluded in writing. Has the right to receive a written certificate of voluntary service, including the scope of work involved. Has the right to an accident insurance and other benefits related to accidents or occupational diseases.
Rights and obligations of a voluntary worker Has the right to receive information on the health risk related to the performed services Has the right to personal protective equipment depending on the type of services provided and risks related to the performance of work. Has the right to have the costs of business travels and per diems covered by the beneficiary of voluntary service (he/she can resign from this but only in writing)
Voluntary Service in Poland (CBOS survey, 2011): 80 % of the surveyed declared their commitment to freeof-charge activities to the benefit of others in a previous year 36 % claims they helped strangers 20 % worked for the benefit of the environment or a local community 24 % of the surveyed were active in some kind of a social organisation 19 % lack of any social activity
Voluntary Service in Poland (CBOS survey, 2011): voluntary service in Polnad has a low social esteem. only 20% of the respondents thinks that voluntary work is popular in their communities. the Poles view a voluntary as a young, well-to-do person that is well-educated and religious, and down-to-earth. above average activity (29%) is observed among pupils/students.
Voluntary Service in Poland (CBOS survey, 2011): Senior citizens seldom identify themselves with voluntary service (only one out of ten voluntary is a pensioner) they have negative connotations from the communist time they claim they have already did their job they care about their own grandchildren (not enough kindergarten facilities in Poland) attitude towards family relations, not local communities
NGO and voluntary service in Poland before and after the changes communism: - community service existed (not really voluntary) - governmental and religious organisations still existing today e.g.: Volunteer Fire Department, Polish Red Cross, Caritas 7th April 1989, the Association Law Act, several independent organisations founded the Benefit Act of 2003 sees voluntary service as a gap filler on the job market, hence e.g. voluntary service contracts, an opportunity to acquire work experience.
Corporate volunteering In Poland it emerged in the second half of the 1990s in American and Western European companies Its popularity is rapidly growing among various companies 2008 first national research on corporate volunteering conducted upon the order of Voluntary Service Centre 2012 second national research on corporate volunteering Executed in the scope of company CSR strategies (Corporate Social Responsibility)
The aims of corporate volunteering: Social Creating good relations among the employees Shaping a positive image of the company
Corporate volunteering in 2012: The research covered companies from the Top 500 and Top 2000 lists 75% of decision-makers in companies know the notion 35% of companies conduct corporate volunteering 85% of decision-makers in companies conducting corporate volunteering claim that employees develop their competences in this way Sex: 84% women, 16% men Age: 57% 30-40 years old, 26% over 40 years old 56% of corporate voluntary workers did not perform voluntary services anywhere else 58% of corporate voluntary workers: not more than 50 hours per year
Voluntary Service at the PAH 1992-2002 400-450 voluntaries annually worked at that period of time early activities of the PAH were event actions and relied almost exclusively on voluntary work (donations in kind and money collections, event organising, transport preparation, convoying goods). the Voluntary Service tried to meet the expectations of the awakened Awareness to do something for the benefit of all. the voluntary service at the PAH enabled the people to help others beyond the borders of our country.
Voluntary Service at PAH 2002-2011 event-like activities of the PAH have been replaced with long-term, thoroughly planned projects and actions. such activity require different qualifications and skills from the employees and voluntaries. we sign approx. 140 voluntary service contracts annually every adult may apply to become a voluntary at the PAH.
Voluntary service at the PAH Since 19th of March 2004 the Polish Humanitarian Action is a public benefit organisation registered at the National Court Register under the number: 136833 The voluntary activity at the public benefit organisations is specified in the Public Benefit Organisation and Voluntary Service Activities Act of 24th April 2003, ammended on 22nd of January 2010.
Recruitment job posts on the Internet wolontariat@pah.org.pl meetings / events application leaflets personal contact
30-day trial period trainings application voluntary service co-ordinator/ supervisor supervisor contract staff/hr internship at a department
Voluntaries sign voluntary service contracts, their work is recorded in their work files and the value of their work is estimated. At any time, a voluntary can receive a certificate specifying the work he did and the time. A voluntary at the PAH has the same rights and obligations as an employee, besides those resulting from the employment relationship. contract staff/hr
Internal trainings: Every voluntary is trained (commitment and goal of the PAH)
Voluntary s Supervisor is a key person in the system, and it is up to him whether a voluntary is satisfied or not; and whether he/she stays with the PAH. Not every employee is good at being a supervisor. Co-operation with voluntary trainings for employees supervisor
Voluntary Service for Immigrants in PAH: Refugee.pl editorial team journalists and translators portal and printed newspaper secretary s office of the CPUiR where beneficiaries are met Polish language teaching teachers help with organising the Refugee Day and the Refugee Review help with organising clothes markets for beneficiaries help at meetings and integration events office work
Voluntary Service for Immigrants in PAH: trainings adjusted to a specific job: - multiculturalism and Chechen culture - journalist s trade and ethics - secretary s office service of the CPUiR - Polish as a foreign language teaching + methodologist s consulting meetings and occasional gifts for voluntaries - the Voluntary Day - books, T-shirts
2014 voluntaries at the CPUiR: most of the volutaries are young and female only 3 people are over 40 only 4 male
Work at the Secretary s Office of the CPUiR:
Polish Language Teaching:
Hospitality Events meetings with the culture and history of the Republic of Poland children events
Event Participation The Refugee Day Warsaw Street Party
Meetings and Occasional Gifts for Voluntaries Christmas Party Refugee.pl s premises
Contact Polish Humanitarian Action Refugee and Repatriates Counselling Centre Szpitalna Street 5/18 00-031 Warszawa tel. +48/22/ 828 88 82 ext. 250 www.pah.org.pl www.refugee.pl www.uchodzcydoszkoly.pl
Mission and vision Our mission is to make the world a better place by preventing people s suffering and promoting humanitarian values. Our vision: PAH assists people suffering from violent conflict, disaster or poverty. We provide them with emergency relief and support them in the process of rebuilding their lives and regaining responsibility for their own future. Moreover, PAH shapes positive, humanitarian attitudes and creates modern culture of humanitarian help. The basic principle of PAH is the effectiveness and the respect for human dignity. Warsaw, 10th of March 2010