European Year of Volunteering

Gramada

Date: 25 August 2011

Venue: in front of Gramada municipality

Zolder, Belgium

Date: 03 September 2011

Venue: Circuit Zolder

Sofia

Date: 09 September 2011

Venue: in front of Ministry of Health

Help me!

This world needs you,
as I need your hand…
This world loves you,
as I love your soul.
Help me, when I’m alone,
when something worries me,
and I will give you something else,
I will teach you what I know!
Help me when I need you in trouble!
Help me, when it is scary,
and I will free you from another danger!
Here is my hand, let it protect you, so you will not worry.
I give it to you, my powers, my heart…
Lets help each other with whatever is possible…
Lets live holding our hands!

Savina Atansova

Driving simulator

The driving simulator is a high-tech machine, designed to simulate as close as possible to the reality situation on the road, using 3D platform to visualize the driving experience. It supports the messages with enabling participants to acquire personal experience. Each of them can check their personal skills and ability to drive and in the meantime understand how important it is to stay focused on the road all the time not only for oneself but also for the other road users.
The driving simulator allows reaching large numbers of people in a relatively short time without reducing the quality. For the basic program, including discussion of the primary safety measures, breaks reaction measurement and simulation of a situation while driving, no more than 10 minutes per person are needed. A more detailed analysis is more time consuming (e.g. examination of the performed simulations, an analysis of driving after drinking, gap analysis, analysis of different angles, etc.).

European Year of Volunteering

This year, the European Voluntary Service (EVS) celebrates its 15th anniversary. Since 1996 about 50 000 young people worked as volunteers in other EU countries and outside the union. The year 2011 was announced by the Council of the European Union as the European Year of Volunteering. Throughout the year many activities, events, exhibitions and live demonstrations will be held in Europe.

Volunteers are central to unique histories and interventions, which reveal the importance of human dedication to achieve amazing results. In order to highlight the work of volunteers and to encourage others to participate and to address the challenges, the European Year of Volunteering 2011 has four main objectives:

to lower barriers to volunteering in the EU;
to empower voluntary organizations to improve the quality of volunteering;
volunteering activities to be rewarded and recognized;
to raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.

To achieve these objectives, the Commission encourages the exchange of good practices between Member States and voluntary organizations. The focus is on training of volunteers, accreditation and quality assurance and effective match of potential volunteers and volunteering opportunities. The European Commission promotes new European initiatives to create networks in order to stimulate cross-border exchanges and practical cooperation between voluntary organizations and other sectors, public administration and business.
Complete information about the initiative can be found at http://europa.eu/volunteering/en/tour.
In the framework of the European Year of Volunteering 2011, the European Commission finances one or two projects of European importance in each Member State. For Bulgaria projects is "Volunteer! ... through road safety" of "Open Youth" in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Municipality of Gramada, Sebaction and TOP-25.

Partypeers: VAD – Belgium

Partypeers objectives are:

- Informing and sensitizing about the effects and risks of alcohol and illegal drugs use in recreational settings.
- Informing and sensitizing about the effects and risks of alcohol, illegal drugs use and tiredness on driving skills.
- Informing about the legal aspects of driving under influence of alcohol and illegal drugs.
- Drivers take a break (pit stop) on their way home.
Alive: Responsible Young Drivers - Luxembourg

Objectives:

- Develop the sense of responsibility regarding risky behaviors
- Increase the awareness regarding the use of prevention tools
- Encourage indirect actors to sensitize their friends, lovers… to take up a responsible attitude on the road as in their relationship.
Respect: University of Nicosia - Cyprus

Objectives:

•    The Respect campaign aims to raise awareness that respectful driving behaviour and respecting our alcohol intake confers several advantages:
o    Drivers become less stressful as polite and respectful driving behaviour leads to a reduction in stress. Similarly, reducing one’s intakes of alcohol also reduces stress on our internal organs
o    Respectful driving behaviour leads to a reduction in road rage as aggression on the road decreases. Regulating the amount of alcohol one drinks can also reduce aggressive and anti-social behaviour
•    Ultimately, the main objective is to communicate that respectful behaviour saves lives and promotes health.

The Respect campaign aims to raise awareness that respectful behaviour can save lives. This is achieved across two domains:
- Respect towards other drivers through more polite and less aggressive driving behaviour
- Respect towards our bodies by limiting the intake of alcohol
The Respect campaign will take place in Nicosia backed by the Cyprus Government and promoted across the capital through television and newspaper announcements. Volunteers will be placed at busy crossroads around the capital and their task is to distribute a folder containing the following:
- Details outlining the Respect Campaign and why it is important
- Health and environmental benefits associated with respectful behaviour
- Questionnaire to be completed by the driver that measures:
•   Current level of polite and respectful driving behaviour
•   Current alcohol consumption

For the campaign you need: t-shirts; posters; folder containing: details outlining the Respect Campaign & leaflet containing information on the benefits of respectful driving behaviour; leaflet containing information on the benefits of decreasing alcohol consumption; questionnaire to determine level of respectful behaviour in respondent and to highlight areas where improvements can be made.
Drive responsibly: Open Youth - Bulgaria

Objectives:

-    to reduce the road accidents, caused by young people;
-    to improve the driving habits of the young drivers;
-    to reach directly a large number of young people through positive peer-to-peer communication and attractive tools.