In the fast world of today, where everyone seems to have joined the rat race to make as much profit as possible, to be the most successful, the most powerful and the most popular and where we are constantly bombarded with news regarding the economic crisis, the world financial matters, scandals and corruption and where everything seems to come at a cost, it’s not often that we stop to think about the hundreds and thousands throughout the world who give their time and energy without wanting anything in return.

… we would be contributing in building a healthier and stronger society based on cooperation and solidarity- David Casa

I am referring to those who do voluntary work in a multitude of areas. These people, who many a time receive little or no recognition at all, have, through their work, become the backbone of our society and their work helps in no small way to make the environment we live in a better one for all.

In celebration of such individuals, and in order to raise further awareness, it was deemed appropriate to dedicate this year to volunteering. Considering that every year there are about 100 million persons throughout Europe involved in voluntary work it is only right that such persons receive the recognition they deserve. Dedicating this year to volunteers is not only a means to recognise their admirable gesture but also, and perhaps more importantly, a way to attract more people to give some of their time in aid of one cause or another. It has been proved that helping out has strengthened our societies and has also helped those involved in volunteering to give more valuable output at their workplace.

In many countries volunteering can almost be regarded as a normal and necessary part of everyday life with almost 40 per cent of Dutch people involved in some sort of voluntary work. In other countries, however, the trend is not so common and in some cases volunteers are even frowned upon. This is mostly common in former communist countries but, luckily, this perception seems to be changing and younger generations are more inclined to devote some of their time to help others in need.

Some hours a week dedicated to a good cause can make a difference to a lot of people. The European Parliament has embraced this and is doing a lot of work to further empower volunteer groups and help them have the necessary tools to carry their work in the right manner. Many projects in this regard have kicked off at EU level, including exchanges between countries in the form of a European tour where volunteer groups can highlight their work and exchange ideas with people from different countries. There will also be a relay of 27 volunteer reporter groups (one from each member state) that will produce an audio visual reportage of the work done by 54 volunteering organisations throughout Europe. A series of conferences are also being held. The final conference will evaluate the work done throughout the year and discuss the challenges that lie ahead.

In every modern and civilised country, voluntary work complements the work done by the government in various areas and this sort of work has become part and parcel of the services that governmental institutions offer. However, I feel we need to keep on working to further strengthen this relationship that is making such a huge contribution to society. We need to lower the obstacles and raise the standards by giving those who want to help the necessary training in their particular field of volunteering.

The European Parliament, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Council of Europe and the United Nations have all teamed up with the “alliance” of volunteers to make this year a success and to ultimately increase the number of those who give up some of their precious time to help others.

We in Malta have no shortage of volunteers; however, this number can never be enough and I encourage each and every one to dedicate some time to a good cause. In this way we would be contributing in building a healthier and stronger society based on cooperation and solidarity.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.