On this page

1. Existence of a National Strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy 

Regional Development Concept (REK)

There is not an official strategy on youth volunteering in the German-speaking Community. However, volunteering plays a central role in the Regional Development Concept. The Regional Development Concept was conceived as a long-term strategy by the Government of the German-speaking Community, without any legal basis. 

The process began in May 2008 with a detailed review and regional analysis to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of the German-speaking Community. This study shaped the strategic approaches and concrete recommendations into a mission statement, which characterized the German-speaking Community as a ‘Frontier Region, an Economic Region, a Learning Region, a Caring Region and a Living Region’. 

The Regional Development Concept consists of five volumes: the first presents the regional analysis, the second covers the mission, strategy, and suggested measures, while the third details specific projects. The fourth reviews the first implementation phase and introduces future projects, including “Engagement commits.” The fifth volume outlines projects for the third phase (2019-2024).

In line with the challenges identified by the European Commission during the European Year of Volunteering in 2011, such as the changing nature of volunteer work and the gap between the needs of voluntary organizations and the expectations of young volunteers, the German-speaking Community has included a main project, “Engagement commits,” in ist Regional Development Concept “Living East Belgium – 2025”.This project sets three priorities to improve the conditions for volunteering: 

1. Qualification of volunteers

2. Recognition and awareness-raising on volunteering

3. Counselling, information and placement of volunteers

Scope and contents

Qualifying volunteers

There are two levels of training and qualification:

1. Training of volunteers to promote and develop their skills in their respective field of activity. These trainings must remain the responsibility of the various volunteering areas. Many appropriate offers already exist.

2. Trainings aimed at all volunteers, regardless of the field of activity. These trainings offer information on legislation, tax, finances and actuarial practice as well as more fundamental issues, e.g. how to win, keep and integrate volunteers within an organisation (volunteer management).

Workshop on volunteer management

The biggest challenge in volunteering lies in different expectations on forms of voluntary activity and the mismatch between expectations of today's volunteers and what organisations have to offer. To address these issues, the German-speaking Community organised workshops on volunteer management, with emphasis on organisational and staff development. These training opportunities are aimed at board members and managers in organisations, associations and projects. The workshop "Volunteer Management" is offered every two years.

Information sessions

Regular information sessions, entitled "Ich hab da mal ne Frage ...", are organized every year to advise on NPO legislation, tax law and insurance issues.

Recognition and awareness of volunteering

According to the Forsa survey "The German-speaking Community of Belgium in the perception of its people" (Die Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens in der Wahrnehmung ihrer Bürger) commissioned by the German-speaking Community in 2018, up to 60% of citizens questioned are interested in volunteering. The results in the same survey carried out in 2014 were very similar. In order to further encourage volunteering, there is a need for better marketing at all levels to raise awareness of volunteering in the German-speaking Community and ensure a high recognition of volunteer work. To raise awareness on the topic "Volunteering in the German-speaking Community", the German-speaking Community strengthened media partnerships (broadcasting and press), inter alia by methods of "storytelling", to ease the understanding of volunteering through stories and pictures.

Counselling, information and placement of volunteers

In addition to regular workshops and information events, the support point for voluntary work located at the Ministry of the German-speaking Community offers personalized advise on request. This also includes the placement of people interested in volunteer work but who don’t know how and where this is possible.

A dedicated website offers regular updated information, policy papers, good examples, concepts and methods for volunteering. Organisations can present themselves and their work through a dedicated web-based exchange platform for volunteering, in order to attract new volunteers. At the same time, it provides an overview of the various possibilities of volunteer work in the German-speaking Community for interested citizens.

Responsible authority

The government as a whole is responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the Regional Development Concept. 

Revisions/ Updates

As the Regional Development Concept outlines future developments in the German-speaking Community up to 2025, it may undergo revisions and updates over the period of its implementation, in order to deduce and elaborate measures as can best meet the German-speaking Community’s current and future needs.