Best practices
In times of scarce resources, demographic and social change and an increasing number of natural disasters we need a stronger cohesion of civil society – across borders and across cultures. The advancement of activities and services depends on cooperation across organisations, on their exchange of best practices and innovative ideas.
The aim of everyone involved, not-for-profit organisations as well as political decision makers on the national or European level, should be to drive forward a stronger intercultural and transnational cooperation of volunteers as well as professionals and raise awareness for it. A culture of appreciation and recognition for voluntary commitment has to be continuously fostered and measures to support civic commitment have to be taken. Binding and beneficial framework recommendations for staff and the participation of volunteers have to be created.
The improvement of framework conditions and the optimisation of quality and infrastructure of the services of the samaritan organisations are originary concerns of SAM.I. The network therefore politically contributed to the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and implemented a Grundtvig project to exchange best practices in volunteering. The network intends to build upon this and most of all to increase institutional and international cooperation.
The member organisations face common challenges and want to pool their resources in thematically overlapping areas, to represent their interests with one voice and to learn from each other through the exchange of best practices across borders.