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IDEAS FOR SOLIDAITÉ PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES This is a list of ideas for Solidarité Projects and activities that have been shared by people interested in Solidarité. You may like to develop one of these ideas into a Solidarité Project or activity with others, or, you may have ideas that you would like to add to this list - just get in touch with the Solidarité Secretariat. Note that as these ideas are developed into Projects with a Project Guideline, or become irrelevant, please inform the Solidarité Secretariat to remove them from this list.
1. GENERAL IDEAS FOR SOLIDARITÉ PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES ........ 1
2. IDEAS HELPING ASSOCIATIONS & NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS........................................................................................... 11
3. IDEAS HELPING SOLIDARITÉ....................................................................17
1. GENERAL IDEAS FOR SOLIDARITÉ PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES
I. Teaching patients and prisoners.
To find an association with which we can collaborate to give lessons (French, English, mathematics, reading… anything) to kids in hospital, prisoners, or other people in need of this kind of help and with whom we can share knowledge.
II. The Shoe-Box Christmas Gift.
Each participant is asked to pack a shoe box full of Christmas presents, including toys, games, clothing, and toiletries and donate a transportation fee. The boxes can be collected centrally in November and distributed to poor children world-wide in time for Christmas.
III. The Christmas Wish Tree.
This is a tree that has Christmas wishes on it written for example by children in orphanages or people in cancer hospitals. People are invited to pick a wish off the tree and try to fulfil it.
IV. Angel for a Day
The ‘Volunteers in Action’ organisation in conjunction with IUVE Belgium has an Angel for a Day program.
(See also http://www.iuve.be/en/activities/volunteers_in_action).
It is a social action program that organises four events each year dedicated to orphan or economically poor children.
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Belgian students organize the day with healthy and fun activities. Examples of these activities include organised sports, games, going to the cinema or an amusement park and meals together.
The objective is simple: give each child a day that he or she will remember and that will give them hope for the future, as well as feeling that they is part of society and not forgotten.
It could be possible for Solidarité to either do something similar or to simply help ‘Volunteers in Action’ and IUVE Belgium on this activity.
V. Sports Activities. Awareness-raising and Fundraising through sports activities.
VI. The EU Cyclists Group
The EU Cyclists Group has approximately 700 members of EU Institution staff. There is a tremendous opportunity to work with them to have a significant cycling event for a worthy cause. It is just up to your imagination.
See www.eu-cg.info for more information about the EU Cyclists Group.
VII. The Schuman Cup Football Tournament. The annual European Commission Schuman Cup Football Tournament could easily be tied to long-term to raising awareness about Earthquake preparation or elderly people that die alone and lonely.
VIII. “Shave for a Cure” / “Colour for a Cure” Shave or colour your hair to raise awareness of and funds for charity., particularly alternative cures for cancer.
Based on the same principle as “The World's Greatest Shave to Care and Cure”, one of Australia's biggest fundraising events.
“Participants shave their hair as a way of showing solidarity and empathy for people with leukaemia, many of whom lose their hair as a result of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Colour for a Cure® is a fun alternative to shaving and involves temporarily colouring your hair to match your favourite sports team, a logo or just for a wacky new look.”
Usually the shave is done in a public place as a fun event, where volunteers agree to have their hair shaved (short, if not off) or coloured in a big group. It is a great public event; great publicity and can also be wonderfully DIFFERENT.
A whole Unit may agree to be involved together. They could challenge other units to do the same. Commissioners and MEPs can also be encouraged to be involved.
Various events could be held in the lobby of the buildings at lunchtime etc (anywhere there is a crowd).
People willing to take part just need to decide whether they would like to shave or colour their hair, then go and find sponsors to support them in their brave undertaking. They ask friends, family or workmates to sponsor them. In return
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for their donation they get to see them with their brightly coloured, or very short, or no hair at all!
Another possibility is to offer to donate money etc if other individuals agree to be involved.
People may decide to do it without sponsors and just make a donation as well.
For ideas and the look at support for The Leukaemia Foundation, go to:
http://www.leukaemia.org.nz/lbf/events/shave-for-a-cure.cfm
Or,
http://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/wgs2005/
IX. Serve The City. This is like an intense form of Solidarité for a day or a week! It is organised by people in Brussels through a church community called The Well. Serve the City is a program completely based on service for others. They get large numbers of people together to do many project activities similar to Solidarité but on mass for a day or over a week. It is well organised and great activity to promote and join in with. It is also a great opportunity to meet lots of people. Maybe you would like to get in touch and help coordinate involvement of staff and trainees of the EU Institutions. Activities range from:
- helping the handicapped ride bikes in the park - talking inner city children to ride horses - ballroom dancing with the elderly - manicures and beauty treatments at a women’s shelter - playing Ultimate Frisbee with refugees, to - painting and practical work at a centre for underprivileged mothers and
children Check out www.servethecity.be.
X. Visitations Organised community service visitations of terminally ill children, schools, spastic centres, those living with cerebral palsy, the elderly and the lonely.
XI. Pooling Resources
The Solidarité Central Charity Fund is a fund for a specific humanitarian project selected each Commission Traineeship period that receives a percentage of the profits of each of the Trainee National Parties. It is a major initiative contributes a significant amount of money to those that really need it.
If practical, there is also the possibility to institute within Solidarité that each year, 10% (for example) of all Solidarité fundraising activities go towards a targeted beneficiary (or indeed to the Central Charity Fund Recipient of each traineeship period.)
This would be a good motivational and unifying step. The beneficiary could be announced via the usual means and a nice cheque presentation etc organised.
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XII. One Big Project. It would be great if there was also one Big Project that as many people as possible could be involved in… that could somehow accommodate as many staff and trainees of the EU Institutions that want to be involved as possible.
This could either be one big Project once a year or once every traineeship period. It could be an integral and ongoing part of Solidarité
This would hopefully help to inspire not only the participants but also other people around the world of the example they can set and the difference they can make. It would be an absolutely fabulous example both to the peole that the EU Institutions serve around the world and to other international institutions.
There are a lot of possibilities for what One Big Project could be.
One idea for a big Project was the “Solidarité, staff and trainees of the EU Institutions Big Sleep-out”. There would obviously be practical limits to the numbers of people that could do this. It may potentially be better as a trainee-only project.
The Big Sleep-out Project could raise awareness and money for homelessness and/or refugees, however, it could also be for another cause. One possibility is to do it in conjunction with the Belgian Projects section of Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium.1
The Big Sleep-out could involve participants getting ‘sponsored’ by as many people as they can and sleeping outside in a big tent in a very prominent location in Brussels (such as the Grand Place, the courtyard of the Palace, the coutyard in front of the Berlymont Building, or other open areas like Place Jordan et cetera), or in another relevant city.
A “Big Sleep-Out” was successful done annually in Sydney outside the Opera House to raise awareness of homelessness. It raised a lot of media attention about the cause and is a chance for many people to be involved. Thousands of people of were involved in Sydney.
It has to be very, very well organised. The staff and trainees of the European Union Institutions would be doing something through such a public event to help those in need and it would have to be carried out to the highest public standards; alcohol for example should not be permitted.
Consideration has to be given to such things as:
• Security
• Health (especially if it is done near Christmas - it would also be very cold, but this factor could obviously help to raise a lot of attention and therefore awareness).
• Gaining relevant permission from authorities.
1 Médecins Sans Frontières have organised a “Refugee Camp In Your City – InTENTsive care with Médecins Sans Frontières” project. “Refugee camp in Your City” is a recreation of a refugee camp and its facilities, it aims to create a better understanding of the vulnerability of life for displaced people and refugees who have fled their homes. Visit the MSF website for more information.
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• Hiring a tent and the wooden floor that goes with it (MSF had indicated they may be able to do this).
• Researching and coordinating the cause that you decide to do this for.
• Informing everyone about what to wear and what to bring (such as head-covering, their own blankets, duvet, Teddy Bear).
• How to collect the sponsorship money.
• The best way to organise this is perhaps under the umbrella of an NGO. MSF Belgium was keen in 1998 when the idea was first raised. Try, first of all, to speak with Anouk Delafortrie ([email protected] , telephone 02 - 474 7488), or Mr Peter Casar, the Head of Belgian Projects for MSF Belgium. (The original meeting between (Traineeship) Solidarité and MSF with regard to this was in November 98 at which time MSF was enthusiastic but committed elsewhere.)
XIII. Youth Solidarity Day Youth Solidarity Day is a fantastic day which promotes Humanitarian Aid information to youth. It is normally held in the European Parliament chamber, Brussels.
ECHO is heavily involved in organising Youth Solidarity Day which invites student representatives from schools all over Europe for the occasion. Get in touch with the ECHO Information Unit, as there are excellent opportunities to cooperate with ECHO on this great event.
The Public Relations section on the Master File has more information about Youth Solidarity Day and a copy of the Resolution agreed to by teenagers voted and adopted on Youth Solidarity day 2002 at the European Parliament.
XIV. EuroVision Song Contest. To use the EuroVision Song Contest as a Fundraising party.
XV. Virtual Volunteering
Virtual volunteering means volunteer tasks completed, in whole or in part, via the Internet. It's also known as online volunteering, cyber service, online mentoring, tele-tutoring and various other names.
Virtual volunteering may provide volunteer opportunities that people can complete via home or work computers because of time constraints, personal preference, a disability or a home-based obligation that prevents them from volunteering on-site.
Virtual volunteering may contribute time and expertise to a wide variety of needs. For example: helping with a marketing plan or graphic design for a not-for-profit organisation or assistance to a school; it could involve things like email contact with a person that is home-bound or mentoring a young student.
See http://www.serviceleader.org/new/virtual/
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XXVIII. Zumbathon – “Zumba for The Cure"
A Dance-athon to raise funds for and awareness of breast cancer.
Based on the dance exercise routine Zumba - which involves Latin inspired dance moves and hip-hop blended music.
A classic Solidarité type activity which involves having fun with helping others. (It also is good exercise and encourages us to perhaps express our artistic dancing sides in a dance party atmosphere regardless of gender, size or age).
The Zumba-thon described below involved various types of large outdoor Zumba classes, education about the importance of exercise, early detection and healthy living, entertainment, food, a Pink theme and breast cancer merchandise for sale. A fee is charged to dance and all profits are donated to a breast cancer cause.
"Ditch the work out, Join the Cause, Zumba for The Cure" October 16, 2010 2.00 pm Casuarina Rec Club, Barclay Drive, Kingscliff, NSW, (Australia). Come join us for an inspiring afternoon on the beautiful Far North Coast, Supporting a cause that will and has affected us all. Zumba Far North Coast and Gold Coast Zumba are proud to present the First Zumbathon on the Far North Coast to raise money for Team Pink, a shoot off of The National Breast Cancer Foundation. A whole afternoon dedicated to finding the cause. A One hour of fun energy, body shaking Zumba Class as well a lower impact Zumba Gold and Zumbatomic class. Motivating and inspiring women will be there to educate about the importance of exercise early detection and healthy living. The event will be hosted at Casuarina Rec Club, followed buy live entertainment( a secret band shhhhhh) with amazing food and Pink theme drinks in the afternoon. Come dressed in pink or your Breast Cancer outfit to support the event. There will be heaps of Team Pink and Breast Cancer merchandise for sale and other great products, all profits from the sales this day will be donated to Team Pink. A full outline of schedule will be up on the website soon. If you would like to Donate money or Products for this cause please contact Belen The cost will be $15 per person including children (does not include food and drinks) http://www.zumbafarnorthcoast.com/home http://www.zumbafarnorthcoast.com/home/zumba-for-the-cure Belen Kimble-Fuller, Owner Zumba Far North Coast & Event Manager +61 (0)401 858 242 [email protected]
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There are a large range of Project categories which are or can be, linked to the Solidarité Mission. Some further examples are listed below.
Environmental graffiti cleaning, litter pickup, cleaning waterways
Sports basketball, football, Frisbee, skating
Arts music/song, crafts, photography, dance, drama
Practical (DIY 4U)2 painting, construction, cleaning, landscaping/gardening
Social excursions, parties, relational, random acts
Food soup kitchen, events with free food
Beauty haircut, manicures, massages
Professional business planning, research, fundraising for non-profits
Collections/redistribution food, clothes, toys, furniture
Events festival
Educational health, language, computer skills
Justice
2 ‘Do It Yourself – For You’
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2. IDEAS HELPING ASSOCIATIONS & NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
Associations, Non Governmental Organisations and International Organisations are usually thrilled, surprised, enthusiastic and cooperative about the possibilities to have our voluntary help and practical assistance to help others and to raise social consciousness. If you have practical ideas to add to this list, contact the Solidarité Secretariat.
I. UNICEF To assist UNICEF, the United Nations’ body focussed on supporting children. This can be done in collaboration with Expats for UNICEF, a voluntary committee of UNICEF Belgium. It was founded in Brussels in April 2004. Its aim is to promote the work of UNICEF among the expatriate community.
There is the chance to promote children’s rights through writing articles, petitions, lectures, putting information on the Solidarité website, and whatever else you could think of.
For further information, [email protected], Or contact UNICEF Belgium.
II. Saint Egidio friendship with the poor.
The Community of Saint Egidio is a movement of lay people connected to the Catholic Church which helps those in need in more than 70 countries throughout the world.
They join for prayer and to provide solidarity with the poor,
Rue Marché aux Herbes, 105/15, Bruxelles 1000
Tél.: +32 (0)2 512 45 46 Fax: +32 (0)2 512 17 12
E-mail : [email protected] or [email protected]
www.santegidio.be
www.santegidio.org
Sant Egidio often has extra activities over the summer period. For example:
• accompanying groups of elderly people, many of whom have little or no family, for a week or weekend vacation in the Netherlands or the Ardennes,
• accompany over 200 hundred children and teenagers from ‘Ecoles de la paix’ (une famille pour les jeunes exclus, www.ecoledelapaix.org), ‘Friends’ , ‘Jeunes pour la paix’ or ‘Pays de l’arc-en-ciel’ (http://www.santegidio.org/fr/solidarieta/minori/movimento.htm) , on vacation in the regions of Gand, Hasselt ou Liège.
• cooperating with a program offering a week long holiday for poor children from Albania and,
• Cooperating with a program for people with AIDS in Africa.
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• Some Thursdays between 18h15 and 19h45 in Brussels group meet at the 'Kamiano restaurant' where they are warmly welcome by around 50 homeless persons. (On the occasion of Kamiano's official launch, the Belgian Deputy Prime Ministers were present).
III. Caritas International
Caritas International is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations working to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed, in over 200 countries and territories.
http://www.caritas-int.be/index.html http://www.caritas.org/
IV. Foyer Selah
Foyer Selah is an organisation in conjunction with the Salvation Army (Armée du Salut) which provides a home in Brussels for approximately 90 people seeking asylum.
The Foyer work hard to create a family atmosphere for people seeking justifiable refuge from persecution and awaiting their asylum applications.
Solidarité can offer help with language lessons, sports or simply social contact the people from all over the world at the foyer.
Email [email protected]
Or,
28 Boulevard d’Ypres B 1000 Bruxelles Tel (02) 219 0177 Fax: 02/219.88.52 Directrice: Mme Claire Lecocq. E-mail : [email protected]
V. Bruxelles Accueil, Service d'interprétariat Social
Bruxelles Accueil, Service d'interprétariat Social, accompanies people who arrive to Brussels and helps them to deal with official authorities in Belgium.
Rue des Alexiens 16, B-1000 Bruxelles. 02 511 27 15. [email protected] .
VI. Bruxelles Accueil
Similar to ‘Bruxelles Accueil, Service d'interprétariat Social’ in that they accompany people who arrive to Brussels and help them to deal with official authorities in Belgium, however they do more voluntary translations of documents for people who cannot afford it (asylum seekers and people in difficult social situations).
Rue de Tabora 6. Bruxelles.
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VII. Link-Brussel Link-Brussel is an NGO which focuses on intercultural issues, working with ethnic minorities, asylum seekers, immigrants etc. They have several projects.
For more information try:
[email protected] 02 502 11 40 Grootgodshuisstraat 3, B-1000 Brussel.
VIII. Maison Mosaïque de Laeken-Vie féminine asbl
Rue Tielemans 11, 1020 Laeken, Bruxelles, Belgique Tél. : 02 427 71 69 [email protected] http://bruxelles.alphabetisation.be/rubrique89.html
Les Maisons Mosaïques sont des espaces de rencontre entre des femmes d’origines diverses. Elles s’y retrouvent pour se former sur des questions qui les touchent dans leur vie quotidienne. Les différentes activités sont mises en place en fonction des besoins exprimés par les femmes, et de nos objectifs d’Education Permanente.
Vie féminine est un large réseau de femmes en Wallonie et à Bruxelles. Des milliers de femmes qui consacrent une partie de leur temps libre à s’informer, à se distraire, se former, à réfléchir, à agir ensemble. Fondé sur l’adhésion volontaire, Vie Féminine est un mouvement profondément démocratique.
Activités
Cours d’alphabétisation
Cours de français langue étrangère FLE
Cours de français intensif et réflexion sur le projet professionnel (ISP)
Cours d’anglais
Cours de néerlandais
Cours de gymnastique et de sophrologie
Cours de couture
Service juridique
Atelier journal
Animation groupe de parole de femmes
Atelier "Informatique et monde du travail"
Atelier "Informatique et traitement de photos numériques"
Cellule d’écoute
Atelier Batik (peinture)
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IX. Transmission Une équipe pluridisciplinaire de jeunes, encadrée par des professionnels, s’investit
dans le développement d’une interface pour tous ceux qui désirent s’impliquer de manière active au niveau de la citoyenneté locale et mondiale.
Mission et vision : Trans-Mission, en tant qu’organisation indépendante, vise à sensibiliser les jeunes aux enjeux sociaux
‘Transmission’ also organises a forum for humanitarian and social action from time to time. The aim of the forum is to bring together Brussels-based Non-Governmental Organisations working in the humanitarian/social field with people interested in doing voluntary work. Many organisations attending the forum including Arc-en-Ciel, L'Arche, Mouvement ATD-Quart Monde, Interenvironement, Oxfam; Amnesty International; Handicap International; Service des Enfants Gravement Malades and Collectif contre les Expulsions. There is also a programme of lectures on issues such as: disability, racism and development.
Bureaux : Rue de l'Aurore, 10
B - 1000 Bruxelles Tel : + 32 (0)2 649.92.20 GSM : +32 (0)487 22.27.54 Mail : [email protected] http://www.lemondeavectoi.org/
Coordination : Olivier Gaillard GSM : 0478/48.73.01 Mail : [email protected]
X. The Homeless and beggars If you encounter homeless people or people begging, the following organisations
might be able to help: • If the person is francophone, try the association des maisons d'accueil
/ama Rue rempart des moines 78, Bruxelles 1000 Tel - Mme Lassaux 513 6225 • If the person is a refugee - try Caritas Secours International (SCICC) Rue de la charité 43, Bruxelles 1210 Tel 02 229 3611 Peter Verhaege • Housing - l'ilot offers housing for 8-15 days to people in difficulty.
chaussée de Charleroi 160, Bruxelles 1060 538 5909 Marie Claeys
• Housing - Renovassistance ASBL (housing for the poor) Bd de la revision 25 1070 Bruxelles Telephone 5232257 Mr cassiers / Mm de Bauw
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• Trois Pommiers ASBL (welcome for single mothers) Ave des casernes 41 1040 Bruxelles 6497301 Mme prive
XI. Potential contacts in order to establish voluntary work with children:
• Arche Handicapés…………. Tel.: 648 3027
• Mr Hennart………………… Tel.: 413 2478 / 413 3915 Mr Hennart works in the “French Community of Belgium” Office (Service du conseil de l’aide de la jeunesse en difficulté)
• Annie Mignon…………….. Tel.: 376 1740 Claire Metat, Salvation Army Children’s Home (French).
XII. The Salvation Army, European Office
http://www.salvationarmy.org http://www.armeedusalut.be/
XIII. Poverello
Poverello is a Christian inspired organization that wants to be a haven for those homeless, disabled, addicts and other groups rejected by society, providing shelter, food and information.
Poverello Brussels Zuinigheidsstraat 4 tel. : 02/511.52.12 http://www.poverello.be/
XIV. European Neighbours Day
www.european-neighboursday.com The last Tuesday in the month of May, all over Europe.
XV. Stichting Present is a Dutch organisation that creates projects in cities for people
that would like to do them.
Stichting Present builds bridges between people and offers help to those who need it. Their goal is for a society where people would like to look after each other. They specialise in local activities, per city, and have a postcode search application on their website.
Examples of projects are: cleaning the home of somebody who can't do it themselves, helping the elderly with their gardens, creating Christmas decorations in retirement homes etc.
Present is a Christian organisation that welcomes anyone who wants to help. http://www.stichtingpresent.nl/home
XVI. Stop the Traffik, Stop the Traffik is a global coalition working together to
PREVENT the sale of people, PROTECT the trafficked and PROSECUTE the traffickers, www.Stop the Traffik.org.
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XVII. International Justice Movement (IJM). IJM documents and monitors conditions of abuse and oppression, www.ijm.org.
XVIII. COPE - Campaign for Open Politics.
Cope list their aims as
- To combat the apathy and scepticism that plagues our democracies
- wake any politicians from a state of inertia
- make politics more fun!
Their main activities are based on education and networking.
www.democracy-experience.org, 0032 285 4634, Boulevard Clovis 39, Brussels 1000, Belgium
XIX. The Jesuit Volunteer Service Elaine from JVS, rue des Trevires, 3 B-1040 Brussels, has tips of places where to arrange one-off projects. One such idea is for females from the Institutions to work at a women's centre in St Gilles, Brussels.
XX. The World Youth Alliance
The World Youth Alliance may have ideas and infrastructure to support a Solidarité Project.
The WYA is a global coalition of young people and youth organisations committed to promoting the dignity of the person at the international level and building solidarity among youth from developed and developing countries. Founded in 1999, it now embraces members of at least 100 nationalities. A small team of World Youth Alliance members works directly at the United Nations and European Union to protect human life and dignity in international agreements. Other World Youth Alliance members are engaged at the grassroots level, building a culture of life through charitable service projects or innovative cultural events.
World Youth Alliance members are an ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse group of young people united by their support of the principles contained in their charter. The WYA embraces over one million members from every continent, and has trained over 500 young people to participate in conferences at the United Nations.
If you would like to contact them:
World Youth Alliance - Europe 23A Rue Belliard, Box 6, Brussels B-1040 Tel: 0032 (0) 2 732 76 05 or 0032 (0) 2 742 28 52 Fax: 0032 (0) 2 732 78 89 E-mail: [email protected]
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3. IDEAS HELPING SOLIDARITÉ I. A Solidarité Brochure,Poster and Flag.
A Solidarité Brochure, Poster and Flag. These things may help the good work and intention of Solidarité to be explained and promoted better to the staff and trainees of the EU Institutions as a whole.
Producing a formal Solidarité Brochure and Poster which included the Solidarité Logo, Mission, Introduction and perhaps the Mission Statement of Solidarité and which listed some of the Projects etc would help to do this.
The brochure could be developed and distributed to new staff and trainees, the EU Institutions and organisations outside the EU Institutions. There are already flyers that can be developed into brochures available in the PR section of the Master File.
The possibilities and visibility of a Solidarité Flag (or flags) is exciting. They could be put up at all Solidarité functions and certain Projects. Perhaps you know how we can produce a flag?
II. Solidarité Promotions and Slogans
The overall motto for Solidarité is ‘Your world is yours to change’, however there is also the possible benefit of using slogans to promote practical and easy involvement in Solidarité activities.
You may like the public relations possibility of developing creative ways to incorporate encouraging ideas into the Solidarité brochure and flyers.
Suggestions have been:
• ‘10/20 minutes per week’,
• 'one hour a month'
• ‘Do your regular thing AND be helping others in the process’.
• ‘Do what you enjoy AND be helping others in the process’.
III. Rewards, Incentives and Awards for Volunteers.
One of the most human of feelings is the joy and benefit of being recognised acknowledged. Someone may like to develop a way to provide small rewards and playful incentives for Volunteers. This could be chocolates or movie tickets for example. Many cinemas give away movie tickets for a good cause; you may be able to use them somehow. Perhaps have a ‘Solidarité Star of the Month!’
You could also establish ‘Volunteer of the Year Awards’ whereby each year, Solidarité recognises outstanding staff and trainee contributions through Volunteer of the Year Awards. Solidarité could donate some funds raised to a charity of choice of the winner. (Trainee awards would have to be per Traineeship period of course).
There could also be a Solidarité Project Team of the year Award and ‘Highly Commended’ (or similar) awards.
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IV. Community Spirit/Bonding Activity for the regular Solidarité participants. This could be a really good way to recognise, thank and encourage Solidarité participants.
People may want to ask some questions or make some suggestions... or they may just want to come along for a coffee. It would be good to have a look at your experiences together, the difficulties, the things you are experiencing, everything you have achieved etc. This could be done after a Solidarité Assembly Meeting.
V. A Thank You and Celebration inviting all the organisations and authoritioes and
people that have been involved in Solidarité activities throughout the year. This could be an annual event where Solidarité perhaps provides a reception to gather and thank everyone from MEPs and Commissioners who have supported a Project, and representatives from all the Organisations that Solidarité has worked with over the year. It is a good chance to meet people face to face and exchange ideas and network for the benefit of Solidarité.
A similiar idea is to have a once a year wonderful open door occcasion where Solidarité perhaps provides a BBQ (perhaps in Parc Cinquantinaire) and invites everyone involved in their Projects including people who go to the Soup Kitchen for meals.
VI. A Solidarité Song.
Alexandre D’Angelo is a Commission Official has expressed interest in creating a Solidarité song with dance choreography. He can be contacted on 29 91728.
VII. Creative ideas for Solidarité Assembly Meetings.
You may like to contribute to keeping Solidarité Assembly Meetings invigorating. Perhaps utilise a small food budget from the petty cash to have some organic free-trade chocolate at meetings to keep things interesting and fun. Invite a musical group in Solidarité to do a small performance at the meeting.
VIII. The Solidarité Website
The Solidarité Website has a heading called ‘Map of projects supported.’ It is a sub-heading under ‘Projects’
You may like to create a map which marks places around the world, and locally, where Solidarité has carried out work. You may get ideas for this from the website of ECHO or from U.N. websites.
Some of this information may, sadly be hard to find or may not have been recorded, but you should be able to get most of it from the following places:
a. Solidarité Financial Reports on the Master File,
b. the Official Record of the Central Charity (also on the website),
c. the relevant ‘Traineeship Solidarité’ ‘End of Stage Reports’ on the Master File,
d. Folders in the Solidarité Secretariat Office, and
e. By contacting any relevant ‘Traineeship Solidarité’ Treasurers. Their contact details should be in the ‘Contact Details of former Steering Committee & Project Leaders’ Excel file on the Master File.
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IX. Solidarité Party
‘Friday Night Parties’ :
The Commission Association of Trainees’ Trainee Committee organise ‘Friday Night Parties’ for approximately the first two months of each Commission Traineeship period.
At some point in the first half of every Commission Traineeship, the Trainee Committee will not organise a ‘Friday Night Party’ on one of the Friday nights.
They will normally offer this date to Solidarité and help to arrange a Solidarité Friday Night Party.
This is a great opportunity for the Solidarité Party Project Team to promote the work and ideas of Solidarité and bring people together by organising the Solidarité party with a theme and using the profits for a specific cause etc.
It is a strong idea to try to arrange that this party takes place on the fourth Friday of every new Traineeship period for example.
The Project Leader should get in touch with the the Trainee Committee about this and then propose at a Solidarité meeting that you organise a party.
This party is a chance to further introduce Solidarité to trainees, to show its work and to raise some funds. In the past, Solidarité used a ‘Flower Power’ sixties and seventies theme very successfully (the Summer 1999 Traineeship for example held a party with a 'Flower Power' and ‘peace’ theme for Kosovo).
National Parties:
There is also a chance to have a Solidarité Party during the Commission Traineeship National Party season (usually the last two months of each Commission Traineeship period (January and February and June and July).
The Solidarité Steering Committee should try to set a date (or dates) for Solidarité Parties with the the Association of Trainees’ Trainee Committee which is fixed for every Traineeship. For example, the fourth Friday of each Traineeship period for the Friday Night Parties and the fourth last Friday of the Traineeship for the National Party season.
Making these dates regular Solidarité Parties would be a great addition to the culture of the Traineeship and indeed the EU Institutions
These parties can be used to promote and advertise Solidarité Projects – to sell fair trade alcohol and other products, to invite refugees to play music or join in to sign letters for Amnesty International on entrance, to have performances etcetera and to raise awareness of humanitarian issues in general. Every Soldarité Project could have a special place at the party.
The first Party is a good way for Trainees to take ownership of activities and to present them to other trainees of all the EU Institutions. The second party is a good way to show the progress and results and to celebrate and share successes.
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X. “Opinion Survey” To create an opinion survey, online or otherwise, for those involved in Solidarité.
The purpose of the survey is to provide one way those involved can express their views about their involvement, the Project they are working on and about Solidarité itself.
The results could then be analysed, discussed at a Solidarité Assembly Meeting and used as a basis for actions by the Steering Committee to make improvements.
XI. Solidarité Website – Volunteer and Community groups register - To add a
Facility to the Solidarité Website for Community groups to register with Solidarité and post requests for volunteers and/or ideas for Projects. This gives community organisations the opportunity to freely advertise volunteer vacancies. Similarly, through this, Volunteers could apply to the Secretariat with their wishes and be connected to a community group.
Examples of such programs may include:
• IBM’s ‘On Demand Community’ (ODC) programme3 among the IBM retiree population during 2004 provided a unique way of keeping in touch.
• The Civil Society Consulting Group’s “Performance Indicators for World-Class Corporate Volunteering”. http://www.civilsociety.biz/performance.htm
• The Centre For Social Impact (www.csi.edu.au)
• The United Kingdom Department of Health’s tool; VIVA35 and Time and Talents for Westminster (TTW)4 scheme - innovative tools in the management of human resources
• Packages offered by ‘People First – Total Solutions’ (www.pfts.com.au), such as a Volunteer Program Audit and Impact Analysis
XII. Solidarité Reunions
Solidarité Reunions - organising reunions for ex-trainees and or staff in Brussels that have been involved in Solidarité - a potential good way to say thank you, develop networks, Projects etc.
All the ideas and activities can work if they are approached with unity, are promoted with belief and organised well.
If anything on this list becomes outdated because it is being done, or for some
reasons becomes unfeasible, please inform the Solidarité Secretariat.
Have fun!
Your world is yours to change
3 In November 2003, the IBM Worldwide Community Relations Team collaborated with external partners to develop a community
initiative called IBM On Demand Community (ODC) which supports IBM employees and retirees to volunteer in schools and
community organizations. Staff and retirees are invited to register, share and use the programme as individuals or in volunteer teams.
4 www.ttw.org.uk
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