Volunteer Guide

Volunteers have always been present in societies over time and their action has taken on various expressions, predominantly of a charitable nature, exercised in an isolated and sporadic way and dictated most of the time, for reasons of family, friendship and good neighborliness.

For years, its work was understood as a way of filling inadequacies of family and institutional support.

In today's society, it is recognized that volunteering has its own space of action, whose work is situated in a complementary line of professional work and the performance of institutions.

Work to which countries and governments pay increasing attention, aware that volunteers are one of the most valuable assets in any country.

 

Introduction

It is precisely in this context of recognition for voluntary work, promotion of volunteering and support for volunteers that the Volunteering Law fits.

Law, which, like its regulation, sought in the space of freedom and spontaneity that characterizes and defines volunteering, to meet the needs felt by volunteers and by the entities that frame their action.

Therefore, the solutions adopted are based on four essential references:

Organized citizen participation;

Development of actions within the scope of programs and projects of public and private entities;

Definition of the rights and duties of volunteers;

Commitment freely assumed between the promoting organization and the volunteer.

But the law that frames volunteering is not just a set of rights and duties. It is essentially an instrument that aims to promote and consolidate solid, qualified and socially recognized volunteering.

The dynamization of the development process and the qualification of volunteering constitute its objectives, having determined the creation of the National Council for the Promotion of Volunteering, CNPV.

The virtualities and potentialities contained in the law make it possible to create a context for reflection and dialogue, clarifying the ideals, values, aspirations and role of volunteers in society.

For this purpose, this Guide was created, which seeks to identify how volunteers can act in their relationship with recipients, other volunteers, professionals, promoting organizations and society in general.

Starting from the coordinates of the legislation on volunteering and based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Volunteering, the Volunteer Guide that is now presented aims to be an instrument that provides each volunteer with a reflection on their own activity, the commitment assumed with the promoting organizations and with the recipients of your action.

 

Volunteering: Free exercise of an active and solidary citizenship

 

VOLUNTEERING

  • IT IS at the service of individuals, families and communities, contributing to improving the quality of life and well-being of populations.
  • IT TRANSLATES into a set of actions of social and community interest, carried out in a disinterested way, expressing voluntary work.
  • IT DEVELOPS through projects and programs of public and private entities with conditions to integrate volunteers, involving the promoting entities
  • CORRESPONDS to a free and voluntary decision based on motivations and personal options that characterize the volunteer.

 

 

Volunteers: one of the most valuable resources of any country

WHO IS THE VOLUNTEER?

Volunteers are those who provide unpaid services in a promoting organization, freely, disinterestedly and responsibly, in their free time.

THEREFORE, BEING A VOLUNTEER IS:

  • Assume a commitment to the organization that promotes volunteering;
  • Develop volunteer actions in favor of individuals, families and the community;
  • Commit yourself, according to your skills and in your free time.

 

VOLUNTEER ACTION

  • Acting as a volunteer is having an ideal to do well, which is based on a relationship of solidarity translated into:
  • Freedom, equality and pluralism in the exercise of an active citizenship;
  • Responsibility for activities carried out with recipients;
  • Participation in the activities to be developed by the promoting organization in the application of the Volunteer Program.
  • Gratuity in the exercise of the activity, but without being burdened with the expenses arising therefrom;
  • Complementarity with the activity of professionals, without replacing them;
  • Convergence and harmonization with the interests of the recipients of the action and with the culture and values of the promoting organizations.

 

 

Rights and Duties: expression of recognition of voluntary work

Acting with people, families and the community is to establish a reciprocal relationship of giving and receiving, assuming a commitment that demands rights and imposes duties.

 

VOLUNTEER RIGHTS:

  • Develop a job, according to your knowledge, experiences and motivations;
  • Have access to initial and continuous training programs;
  • Receive support in the performance of your work with monitoring and technical evaluation;
  • Have a favorable work environment with hygiene and safety conditions;
  • Participate in decisions concerning your work;
  • Be recognized for the work you develop with accreditation and certification;
  • Agree with the promoting organization on a volunteering program, which regulates the terms and conditions of the work to be carried out.

 

VOLUNTEER DUTIES TOWARDS: THE RECIPIENTS:

Respect the private life and dignity of the person;

Respect ideological, religious and cultural convictions;

Maintain secrecy on confidential matters;

Use common sense in resolving unforeseen matters, informing those responsible;

To act free of charge and with interest, without expecting compensation and equity compensation;

Contribute to the personal and comprehensive development of the recipient;

Ensure the regularity of the exercise of voluntary work.

 

DUTIES OF THE VOLUNTEER TO THE PROMOTING ORGANIZATION

  • Observe the principles and norms inherent to the activity, depending on the domains in which it operates;
  • Know and respect the statutes and functioning of the organization, as well as the rules of the respective programs and projects;
  • Act diligently, impartially and in solidarity;
  • Ensure the proper use of the goods and resources made available to you;
  • Participate in training programs for a better performance of your work;
  • Resolve conflicts in the exercise of volunteer work;
  • Ensure the regularity of the exercise of its work;
  • Not assume the role of representative of the organization without its knowledge or prior authorization;
  • Properly use identification as a volunteer in the exercise of their activity;
  • Inform the promoting organization as soon as possible whenever you intend to interrupt or cease volunteer work.

 

 

DUTIES OF VOLUNTEERS TO PROFESSIONALS:

  • Collaborate with the professionals of the promoting organization, enhancing their performance in the scope of information sharing and according to the technical guidelines inherent to the respective field of activity;
  • Contribute to the establishment of a relationship based on respect for the work that each one is responsible for developing.

 

DUTIES OF VOLUNTEERS TO OTHER VOLUNTEERS:

  • Respect the dignity and freedom of other volunteers, recognizing them as peers and valuing their work;
  • Foster teamwork, contributing to good communication and a pleasant working and living environment;
  • Facilitate the integration, training and participation of all volunteers

 

VOLUNTEER DUTIES TO SOCIETY:

  • Foster a culture of solidarity;
  • Disseminate volunteering;
  • Know the sociocultural reality of the community, where you develop your volunteer activity;
  • Complement the social action of the entities in which it integrates;
  • Convey the values and ideals of volunteer work with your actions.

 

The Commitment: Meeting of Wills and Mutual Accountability

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE VOLUNTEER AND THE PROMOTING ORGANIZATION

  • Volunteer work does not result from a subordinate relationship nor does it have financial counterparts;
  • Volunteering, expressing the free exercise of citizenship, can only take place within a framework of autonomy and pluralism based on the principle of responsibility.

VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM

It is in this context that the relationship between the volunteer and the promoting organization is placed and the carrying out of voluntary work is agreed between them: the commitment;

This commitment, which the Law designates as a Volunteer Program, thus stems from the meeting of wills:

  • EXPRESSES the volunteer's free, disinterested and responsible adherence to carrying out volunteering actions within the scope of a promoting organization;
  • CONSTITUTES the mutual relations between the promoting organization and the volunteer, corresponding to the content, nature and duration of voluntary work within a framework of rights and duties of both parties;
  • TRANSLATES the guiding principles of volunteering, namely the principles of solidarity, complementarity, responsibility, convergence and gratuity. The importance of this instrument, which implements the established commitment, justified the construction of a model that is merely indicative and adaptable to the specific situation.

 

“NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS COMMITMENT WILL LAST, IT MAY BE FOR ONE MONTH, SIX MONTHS OR ANY OTHER PERIOD, WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THAT, WHILE IT LAST, IT IS DEVELOPED WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED RULES.”