A global initiative to empower youth organisations and to valorise the impact of volunteering.
There is something amazing in the CCIVS which is about gathering so much diversity: cultural, organisational, geographical,… in just one movement; with similar goals and vision, but so many different realities. The CCIVS is in over 90 countries (how many languages do we speak, how different are our lives, our conditions…) and however we consider to go in one direction, to search for common goals (peace, interculturality, sustainability,…) with common methodologies: workcamps, IVS.
And yet, what makes us amazing is also the source of some of our main weaknesses: our difficulty as a network, as CCIVS, to care, to monitor such diversity, such quantity of organisations within the movement.
The STEPS project was launched in order to start solving such fundamental challenge. If part of the mission of CCIVS is to empower its member organisations so that they achieve the goals of IVS; how is it possible that CCIVS is not able to know the needs of each of its members, to address the main challenges with support and training? The EC went around these questions for some years, and in the GA in Korea, 2014, made the decision to develop a Monitoring and Empowerment System for the network. And STEPS is the project to place the grounds for such system. With STEPS we focus on 4 regions (Asia, Africa, America, Europe), developing a process of deep diagnosis with members, and at the same time implementing organisational development trainings which allow members to reflect and work on their own needs, challenges and potentials.
The Project through 2017 and 2018 included a STEP experience in Africa, with an international training in Ghana, hosted by Volu; and participants also from Astovot Togo, ADC Congo DR, UPA Uganda, VWAN Nigeria. In Asia, a training in Cambodia, hosted by CYA, with participants from Ruchi India, VSA Thailand, SCI Hong Kong, IWO Korea. In America, a training hosted by ACI Costa Rica, and participants from Siijuve Mexico, Chiriboga in Ecuador, BVBP in Perú, Subir al Sur in Argentina. In Europe hosted by CID FYROM including SCI-Hellas, Concordia and SJ France, SCI-Catalunya and Egyesek Hungary. All of the organisations also hosted training processes in their countries and received experts on the ground to support them in this process.
The process, for participants, hosts, trainers, network representatives, has been very enriching! It opened up the detailed reality and histories of each organisation, the non-theoretical but very practical understanding of the needs and genuineness of IVS organisations in their countries; the belonging to local cultures, and at the same time the will and capacity to be working for a global dream.
As very important part of the training and research process implemented is also the Impact research which has been developed over the last years, now focussing in the impact on communities. By interviewing community members who have been in contact with IVS projects, the project concludes with testimonies in 20 countries in 4 regions, which contribute to the global research. In addition the project results included 40 professionals participating in international projects and more than 100 people trained in their own countries.