I could call volunteering an alternative for nowadays world’s materialism, which is leaded by deeper moral principals, not material benefits. Recently volunteering is becoming more and more popular between young people, they don’t want to agree to the standards of society any more – finish school, graduate university, get a job. Wide choice also has an influence – youngsters have so many opportunities, that sometimes they even loose their identity. So volunteering might be the lighthouse for one’s way of searching for himself.

 How everything began

The history of volunteering begins from First World War. In 1920 Swiss Pierre Ceresole rallied an international group of young people who wanted to rebuild the war destroyed houses. But the status of volunteer was determined when UNESCO joined those activities in 1948. After 1990‘s lots of different programs were established by European Commission and European Council.

The main principle is learning

It doesn’t matter what kind of volunteering you are doing – saving turtle’s eggs from tourists in Crete, teaching children not to drink dirty water in Asia, or helping to organize a concert in your birth town. Every volunteering work has two sides – benefit for local society/ environment/nature and your personal development.

There are jobs, which can not be paid by anybody. These kinds of jobs don’t require special knowledge or skills, sometimes they are even invisible, but they are very important for society. In that case there is a need for people who believe in ancient community principals (if you are happy, I am happy too) and don’t look for material profit.

Volunteering has the same mechanism like it is written in Bible: “Store all your riches in heaven”. If you don’t count hours spent by volunteering, little by little Knowledge and Experience are coming to you…

At first you are totally inexperienced, you don’t know so many things – nor as how to work in organization, neither how to communicate with different people…But young people have to collect the experience somehow! Only youth organizations can believe in you and give you a job. Where else you can try to organize your first event, or learn how to manage a project?

But the result of young person’s experience is valid not only for himself. Educated and trained persons can build a better society with strong humanity beliefs. Now, when there are no borders in Europe, we can focus on global issues, not war and conflicts…

All the opportunities are given to you

Your beginning could be at Kilkis Youth Information Center, which acts in local and international levels. It organizes annual events like Puppet festival, annual Carnival in spring and music concerts in summer. Also Center runs Youth projects (mostly youth exchanges under “Youth in Action” program), sends and hosts volunteers from all over the world (we also came to Greece, Kilkis for volunteering, not for holidaysJ).

This organization could be your bridge to exploring the world. Just come and tell “I want to be a volunteer!”…