When analysing the situation of a country, especially when it is facing problems of different kinds, it is indispensable to check its reality in terms of volunteering and the power of its social organizations, in order to describe its strengths and opportunities.

A country's vitality is measurable by the capacity of its social fabric's networking. It would be advisable to define some kind of indicator of European range which allows to measure that index.

Volunteering and social partnership must be understood as a means to solve some of the most common problems of our European society, stopping us from being mere spectators to these issues. We do not want a passive, sleepy and weak model of society.

We consider volunteering, partnerships and the richness of the social organizations’ network as part of a society’s heritage. As such, it is a reality the government must protect and empower, but without creating dependencies or falsifying its nature.

We assume that it is a country’s government that has to guarantee basic social rights. But all other spaces for citizen participation, growth, creation and experiencing of values are in fact shared spaces, often led by an attentive civil society that is structured into organizations.

The responsible role these organizations play strengthens a country’s freedom and the freedom of its own people. And, as long as there are clear agreements between the administration and these organizations, each of them will carry out their respective tasks in an easier and more effective way.

What are the two main actions a government sensitive to volunteering could instigate, without interfering nor generating ties of dependence?

First of all, we must set up a legal frame to establish clear boundaries and to define a code of good practices approved by a majority that will include a range of basic rights and duties for volunteers and organizations.

Second, it is necessary to carry out a promoting action to strengthen both the organizations’ independence and their bond to society. There are some reasons why organizations should be strengthened: their independence from subsidies, having avoided an unmanageable debt level and having raised capital whenever it was possible, the wide social base they lean on, their faithfulness and commitment towards their own mission, a transparent management that reports to their collaborators and to society each year, both economically and socially, the fact that they carry out a task regarded as being useful, and having access to and properly using communication platforms that interact with society.

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Ramon Terrassa, General Manager of Civic and Community Action from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Family of Government of Catalonia analyzes the situation of the volunteering in Catalonia.

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