Over 70 years of international volunteering

The Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) network was set up in 1948 under the aegis of UNESCO and has grown to include over 180 organisations in more than 80 countries.

As part of a long-term process of self-evaluation by CCIVS, the STEP to Change project, supported by Erasmus+, has undertaken a global and regional diagnosis of the state of the art of the International Voluntary Service movement, with the focus on organisational development and measuring impact.

This project is in direct alignment with the experience of Erasmus+ in international volunteering and education, helping the programme to contribute to one of the core priorities of the European Commission – promoting a stronger Europe in the world.

To see the world without going anywhere, this is very interesting for me – to get to know people. There is a person, sitting in front of you – Spanish or Russian or South-Korean – a real person, not coming from Mars, not an alien. This can help a lot in understanding the international situation.

- F.B, Local CCIVS coordinator, Hungary.

Levels of empowerment

According to CCIVS Director, Victoria Lovelock, the impact of the STEP project reflects the three complementary levels of empowerment nurtured by its activities.

• building a deeper and more complete understanding of the reality of International Voluntary Service in all the regions of the world
• providing training and tools to improve the practices of the participating organisations and communities
• valuing local and international expertise, and the strengths and achievements of unique local projects in the global common framework of the CCIVS movement

About the project coordinator

CCIVS is a global network involving 181 international, regional and national organisations worldwide. It has over 30,000 volunteers every year.

CCIVS is active in advocacy and networking, training, impact measurement and quality improvement, raising peace, and climate justice as well as UN cooperation projects.