The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the selected projects of the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) 2020 - 2021 Campaign, under the theme ofFostering Youth Commitment towards World Heritage.
© UNESCO-CCIVS-BVBP
Les campagnes de Volontariat pour le patrimoine mondial offre des opportunités enrichissantes aux jeunes et leur permet d’aller au-delà des frontières dans certains des endroits les plus exceptionnels du monde.
This publication provides a retrospective of the first 10 years of the World Heritage Volunteers Initiative, to increase its visibility and sustainability and support the organizations committed to its values.
Empowering Youth for Heritage – 10 years of the World Heritage Volunteers initiative
over 5000 volunteers
have participated
more than 350 action camps
have been held
in about 60 countries
around the world
with over 100 youth
organizations and NGOs
The project continues to receive a considerable amount of attention on social media, raising awareness of World Heritage issues and volunteer activity opportunities among youths. Due to outstanding growth of World Heritage Volunteers Initiatives, World Heritage Centre has collaborated with global and regional partners for the implementation of World Heritage Volunteers action camps.
©Jeremie Jung-UNESCO-CCIVS
To raise awareness among young people, volunteers, local communities, and concerned authorities of the need to protect and promote World Heritage.
To get young people involved in World Heritage preservation through concrete projects at sites, allowing them to learn new skills and express ideas.
Provide young people with opportunities to learn basic preservation and conservation techniques.
Foster cooperation between youth organizations, communities, site management and authorities.
Identify best practices and develop non-formal education tools to facilitate stakeholders’ participation in World Heritage education.
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The action camps generally have a minimum of 10 full days of activities, where young volunteers carry out concrete actions, comprising both hands-on preventive conservation activities and awareness sessions on issues related to World Heritage, as well as other activities carried out together with local communities. Each action camp accommodates ten to thirty national and international volunteer participants.
World Heritage Centre is responsible for the overall World Heritage Volunteers initiative by direction and supervision of the whole coordination.
Better World has been in charge of the regional coordination of Asia and the Pacific since 2015.
CCIVS is responsible for the global coordination of the Initiative, and the regional coordination for Africa, the Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and North America. (The regional coordination for Europe was ensured by European Heritage Volunteers between 2014 and 2020).
In common, all coordinators are responsible to promote the initiative, assist the participating organisations and evaluate their action camps as the regional coordinators.
As each coordinator has played a role in a platform to communicate between World Heritage Centre and the organisations participating in World Heritage Volunteers, the organisations which are interested in the action camps for World Heritage Volunteers are required to contact with each regional coordinator directly.
CCIVS
(Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service)
TheCCIVSis an International Non-Governmental Organisation engaged in the field of International Voluntary Service, created under the aegis of the UNESCO in 1948. It brings together more than 200 international and national organisations from all over the world.
Website: ccivs.org
Contact to Ms Victoria Lovelock (Director)secretariat@ccivs.org (for projects in Africa, Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and North America)
Better World
Better World / International Workcamp Organization, is a Korea-based non-profit NGO created in 1999 whose main mission is to empower people and communities towards a shared vision of a peaceful and sustainable world, driven by engaged citizens. The main focus of Better World activities is on global education, community development and international volunteering, considered as complementary elements and tools to build a sustainable culture of peace.
Websitehttp://www.1.or.kr/
Contact to Mr Francesco Volpinifrancesco@1.or.kr (for projects in Asia and the Pacific)
What is World Heritage Volunteers?
World Heritage Volunteers (WHC) is an initiative to raise awareness among young people of the importance of World Heritage conservation, and give them concrete skills by working on a project through an action camp at a World Heritage site. Each year some 50 action camps around the world are carried out which promote specific thematic such as Biodiversity, Sustainable Development, etc. For example, in 2013 there were 52 projects implemented in 52 World Heritage sites in 32 countries, involving 43 organizations and promoting Sustainable Development and the International Year of Water Cooperation.
Who selects and who organizes action camps?
World Heritage action camp projects are selected by UNESCO each year to be part of WHV, and each project is organized by local youth organizations, non-governmental organizations or heritage and education institutions.
Who can participate?
Generally, participants are students between 18 and 30 years old, but the requirements can vary according to the country and the project. To learn more about an action camp and the application requirements, you must contact the local organization in charge of that project (UNESCO does not accept applications)..
Is it possible to volunteer at a World Heritage site another way?
UNESCO does not organize volunteer activities at World Heritage sites outside of the WHV programme. If you are interested in volunteering at aWorld Heritage site, you may wish to contact a volunteer organization (such as WWF, Greenpeace, etc.) in case they have a project that would interest you.
Or, you may wish to contact theNational Commission for UNESCO in the country where you would like to volunteer, to see if they know of an organization that could help you.
Are there any other requirements to become a World Heritage Volunteer?
Volunteers are expected to contribute their share of the expenses, such as the cost of their travel to the site, and insurance. Food and lodging are provided by the host organization. Many assignments are in remote locations, and volunteers are expected to respect local customs. English is the recommended language for communication, but the language(s) used will mostly depend on the organizers and the country where the camp will be held.
How can my organization apply to run a World Heritage Volunteers project?
If your organization fulfills the selection criteria (see below), you should fill in the application form and send it to the relevant coordinating bodies. The report should be short and to the point, presenting a clear picture of the objectives and activities of the project.
When is the deadline to apply to run a camp?
The call for proposals usually starts in November or December, for the following year.
How long does the selection process take?
The selection process is usually completed in February, and the list of selected WHV projects is then announced.
What are the criteria for selection?
What is the maximum number of projects the organization is eligible to apply for?
Each organization is eligible to apply for a maximum of 4 projects to be carried out in different sites or carrying different themes and activities.
What are the details I should pay attention to when applying?
In general, organizations should consider permits or authorizations to conduct activities in and around the sites, safety issues, accessibility and facilities available, accommodation, transportation, budget, partners and stakeholders, among other things. For more information please refer to the World Heritage Volunteers Project Cycle Practices.
Who will decide whether my project will be part of that year’s World Heritage Volunteers campaign?
Coordinating partner(s) submit to UNESCO World Heritage Centre recommendations and comments on the projects for the campaign of the following year.
Will there be any financial support for the projects available?
UNESCO does not provide financial support to organizations, hence the importance of partnerships in the implementation of the project.
How will organizations receive confirmation that they will take part in the World Heritage Volunteers initiative?
The official confirmation letter will be sent to selected organization, and the profile of the action camp will be published online, including UNESCO WHC webpage. Organizations participating in the World Heritage Volunteers campaigns shall also receive a UNESCO certificate following the successful implementation of the projects.
Will my project be monitored?
Each year UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the coordinating partners of the campaign undertake several monitoring visits to evaluate project progress and results and submit the reports to UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
How will media promotion of the projects be supported?
The promotion of the projects to a large audience through local and national media coverage will be facilitated by the use of promotional material during the projects and the authorization to carry thePatrimonito label which associates the action projects to WHV and the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme.
Who is Patrimonito?
Patrimonito is the international mascot of the World Heritage Education Programme. The name means ‘small heritage’ in Spanish and the character represents a young heritage guardian. ThePatrimonito character is based on the World Heritage emblem, and symbolizes the interdependence of culture and nature. The central square is a form created by humankind and the circle represents nature, the two being intimately linked. The emblem is round like the world, but at the same time, it is a symbol of protection.
Can I use Patrimonito and the UNESCO and World Heritage logo in my project?
Using the image ofPatrimonito, or the UNESCO and World Heritage logo requires a strict validation process. The projects selected for the WHV campaigns are granted the authorization to use ‘Patrimonito’. This authorization does not include the use of the UNESCO logo nor the World Heritage Centre emblem. Prior written authorization from the World Heritage Centre is required to use the UNESCO and WHC logo and emblem in any publication, platform or format.
What is expected from the organization once the action camp has been held?
Each organization shall submit an evaluation report together with relevant documents and materials (images, photos, videos, media coverage, etc.).
Where can I find more information about the World Heritage Volunteers initiative and previous campaigns?
Si vous avez d’autres questions sur la campagne de Volontariat pour le patrimoine mondial 2016, veuillez contacter les coordinateurs du Volontariat pour le patrimoine mondial
Open Houses Allemagne (info@openhouses.de) pour les projets en Europe et le Comité de coordination du service volontaire international (CCIVS) (secrétariat@ccivs.org) pour tous les autres pays.
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