Weltwärts South-North Partner Conference 2018
In the period from the 10th to 16th of September, a few days before the 10th anniversary of the Existence of the Weltwärts program, a four-day conference was held for partner organizations in Berlin. Project Coordinator of the Omladinska Organizacija Svitac (Firefly), Miloš Popić, attended the conference as one of Europe’s partners.
During the conference all partners from Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, and Oceania had the opportunity to deeply develop their partnerships and talk about further steps to improve the quality of the program before, during, and after the volunteer service. Coordinators from different countries of the program also presented their views and participated in a large number of presentations and workshops related to the achievements and new plans for the future, prepared by the coordinators/representatives of the Weltwärts program. Over 70 partner organizations attended the conference.
After the conference, participants attended the 10th anniversary of the Weltwärts program held on 15th of September, at the Berlin Congress Centre. The program was attended by representatives of partner countries and organizations, volunteers, ministers and officials of the ministries that have set up and improved the program. Also attending were 800 delegates who had an opportunity to listen to lectures and participate in workshops of various professors and doctors related to youth topics, development, and politics.
This volunteer program has had a great influence on young people, their families, the environment in which volunteers lived, organizations in which they volunteered, and many other aspects of life.
Weltwärts-Volunteer Program, which the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany established in 2008, has marked the ten years of its existence in the past days. Since then to date, over 35,000 thousands young people have travelled to Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, and Oceania to volunteer.
Since 2013, young people from their partnering countries have also been given this opportunity to spend a year volunteering in various organizations across Germany. The competences that volunteers receive during their stay in a foreign country remains with them throughout their lives and motivates them to develop as individuals and help change the world and make it better, one step at a time.
“It was a great pleasure to attend this event and share my experience with coordinators and volunteers from all continents. I would like to thank all who have enabled the Omladinska organizacija Svitac (Firefly), to attend this event”.
Miloš Popić, Project Officer&Voluntary Service Coordinator, Svitac (Firefly)
