The Youth Committee is envisaged as supporting the CCIVS Executive Committee
and Secretariat with the development of the youth dimension and the implementation of the CCIVS strategic plan, itself approved among other motions in the CCIVS General Assembly 2021. Although the main task of CCIVS is to support IVS organisations and advocate for IVS broadly, it is necessary to ensure that CCIVS can directly communicate with young people or where they can express their needs and/or advocate for the role of young people in relation to volunteering. Youth are the principal participants in IVS activities, it seems pertinent that young people themselves be the ones who represent and advocate for themselves within CCIVS. An organisation that works for a better future together with young people and does not have a youth organisation misses an important point of view about reality and needs. When CCIVS attends youth events, it should be young people themselves who take the floor. It is therefore essential that CCIVS gives a space for young people to give direct input, learn to advocate for IVS, take up advocacy work in youth platforms and give direction to CCIVS policies from their youth perspective.
Objectives
These objectives are guided by the conviction that young people are powerful agents of change and that their involvement is essential for building a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. By working with CCIVS, we are committed to achieving the following objectives:
Be the representative of the diverse youth in the internal CCIVS structure and external events, by prioritising the issues that concern youth on the agenda;
Contribute to the internal agenda of CCIVS by being a part of the decision making process and create an exchange between the needs of IVS organisations on the one hand and youth on the other hand;
Strengthen local, national and international networks by fostering collaboration among IVS organisations and multistakeholders;
Share the mission and vision of the IVS and CCIVS to the world through youth advocacy;
Integrate the youth perspective in order to develop a strong and efficient worldwide networking aiming to reach the IVS and CCIVS values.
These objectives aim to ensure that the CCIVS Youth Committee effectively engages with young volunteers, supports their development, and integrates their perspectives into the organisation’s activities and policies. These objectives align with the justification and purpose outlined in the CCIVS Youth Committee Guidelines.
Go up!
The Role of The Youth Committee
Young people are key to the development and promotion of CCIVS. The Youth Committee representatives are designated by CCIVS member organisations and support the CCIVS Executive Committee (EC) and Secretariat with the development of the youth dimension of our activities by:
Contributing to the inclusion of a youth dimension in the CCIVS organisational structures and programmes by formulating opinions and proposals on general or specific questions in relation to internal structure (developing a CCIVS youth policy) and integrated into the decision-making process, advocacy, communication or campaigns;
Being involved as the representative, where relevant and where possible in CCIVSÂ projects, campaigns and working group to ensure that projects address the specific needs and interests of youth involved in IVS;
Formulating opinions and proposals concerning the CCIVS priorities and projects;
Creating biannual recommendations for the General Assembly through a participatory process led by youth with youth. These recommendations will be concrete and realistic around topics tackled by CCIVS and will result in concrete actions involving youth within the CCIVS network. Before the recommendation is presented to the GA, a member of the EC will help the YC finalise the recommendations and adjust them to CCIVS competencies;
Promoting IVS values and take on youth-led advocacy work through a local community, within the CCIVS member organisation the Youth Committee members are affiliated with, or in any relevant external event;
Working on the steps through the Plan of Action to create a multi stakeholder group for youth advocacy.
Participation in the Youth Committee is a first step into becoming more involved in CCIVS governance. The members of the Youth Committee are selected ensuring the participation of different regions, gender balance, based on the following criteria:
Be aged between 18-30 during the admission;
Be nominated with a support letter by a CCIVS full-member organisation/ network;
Formulating opinions and proposals concerning the CCIVS priorities and projects;
Have experience in at least one of the fields of action of CCIVS (e.g. be an alumni of previous CCIVS or MO projects, be engaged in local/national/international actions on the participated in IVS projects, etc.);
Composing a group of 10-12 young people from different regions (America, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe);
Creating a gender and region-balanced team;
Holding a working level of English;
Motivated and committed to attend the recurring monthly meeting and hold a 2-year period of service between two CCIVS General Assemblies;
Being aware of the context and main issues of their country and understanding the youth needs and concerns.
Go up!
Functioning and Meetings
The Youth Committee meets online once in a month, the dates to be defined before the EC meetings in order to ensure that the content discussed is feeding and informing the discussions of the EC. Where possible, members of the Youth Committee are encouraged to take part in CCIVS training programmes, to give them the opportunity to learn more about IVS and to develop their policymaking and advocacy skills.
