IVS for Human Rights and Peace

"We, the representatives of International Voluntary Service (IVS) networks (...) agree to take a stand regarding the situation of human rights worldwide, and the need for common strategies and cooperation for their guarantee and protection"

During recent meetings held among representatives of several IVS networks (Alliance, CCIVS, ICYE, NVDA, SCI), a joint Declaration was produced to invite organisations worldwide to engage in common actions that promote and defend human rights and peace, through the existing campaigns developed by the networks and their members. The Declaration talks about the vision of IVS towards human rights: to a life with dignity, equality, participation, freedom, with peace. Quoting the conclusions:

We call IVS organisations to keep on organising volunteering, educative and networking projects for the ultimate purpose to raise peace and human rights. And we encourage and aim at strengthening partnerships with civil society organisations, at advocating together with institutions that hold responsibility, and at enhancing citizen's participation so that a dramatic change can be brought about, that will increase peace, the guarantee of universal human rights and of a life with dignity and freedom for every person in the world.

The annexes include concrete information and suggestions for actions that can be implemented by individuals, IVS organisations and networks, also in the framework of existing campaigns, such as the Raising Peace initiative of CCIVS or the Environmental Sustainability campaign of the Alliance.

The declaration is a work in progress, and everyone is invited to participate!

The networks invite organisations and volunteers to use this declaration in the workcamps to discuss about these important topics, as well as to suggest amendments and changes: an updated version, with the results of volunteers' and organisations' participation, will be presented on October 2015, together with a Report on Human Rights&Peace and the role Civil Society, Activism and IVS, that will be prepared in the framework of Raising Peace Initiative.

How can we use the declaration?

• Read it and promote it here
• Learn how you (and your volunteers and stakeholders) can contribute here
• Tell us what should be changed and added here
• contribute to the Report on Human Rights, the role of Civil Society Organisations, activism and IVS, here

The deadline is 31st of August. After collecting all the suggestions and contributions, the coordinating team will prepare the final version of the Declaration.