ABOUT
Voices for Change
Music and Volunteering for a Decolonial Environmental and Social Justice Agenda
Voices for Change is an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership that brought together International Voluntary Service organisations, environmental organisations, musicians and local communities from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America to explore how creativity, volunteering and advocacy can contribute to environmental and social justice.
Through international collaboration, local community actions, impact measurement, music and policy dialogue, the project strengthened the International Voluntary Service (IVS) movement while amplifying grassroots voices in discussions on climate justice, social justice and volunteer rights. By connecting local experiences with institutional advocacy, Voices for Change demonstrates how volunteering can contribute to meaningful social change and help shape future policies.
Project Overview
Over two years, partners worked together to exchange knowledge, build new partnerships and develop practical resources that strengthen the International Voluntary Service movement.
The project combined international meetings, the Earth Artivists Training and Songwriting Workshop, impact measurement training, local community actions, advocacy initiatives and creative collaboration. These activities resulted in a range of educational, creative and advocacy resources designed to support volunteers, organisations, educators and decision-makers beyond the lifetime of the project.
The project’s main outputs include:
- The Change Capsule, bringing together the project’s creative and advocacy legacy through music, stories and educational resources.
- The Earth Artivist Toolkit, supporting organisations and communities in using creativity and volunteering for environmental and social justice.
- Impact Measurement resources, including training materials, tools and Stories of Change that help organisations better understand and communicate the impact of International Voluntary Service.
- The Volunteer Rights Framework, promoting a rights-based approach to volunteering and strengthening advocacy for volunteers worldwide.
- Policy proposals and advocacy resources, developed through dialogue between volunteers, communities and partner organisations.
Together, these outputs provide practical tools that continue to support International Voluntary Service and inspire future action.
Continuing the Journey
The Change Capsule, impact measurement tools, advocacy resources, publications and educational materials have been developed to continue supporting volunteers, organisations and communities long after the project’s completion.
Voices for Change also builds on the wider work of CCIVS, including the Living Earth Campaign and previous initiatives on decolonising International Voluntary Service, ensuring that the learning from this project continues to contribute to future collaboration, advocacy and volunteer action.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
