HOPE NEWSLETTER

HOPE - Humanitarian OperationalPlatform for EU Aid Volunteers” -is a consortium that aims at strengthening the EU humanitarian capacity through the deployment of 46 EU Aid Volunteers in 18 countries: Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Lebanon, Georgia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Albania and Palestine, Zambia and My-anmar (Myanmar deployment is on hold as per Covid-19 crisis). The duration of deployments to these countries varies from 1 to 12 months.

HOPE is led by the Danish Refugee Council and composes further four partner organisations, Alianza por la Solidaridad, the Estonian Refugee Council, Sawa for Development and Aid and The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In support to humanitarian programmes, the consortium will focus on protection of vulnerable persons and communities.

You will find more information on this initiative on the DRC stand-by roster webpage:

https://drc.ngo/relief-work/the-drc-stand-by-roster

> V O L U M E 4 / M A Y 2 0 2 0

INDEX

HOPE is CELEBRATINGFor the first quarter in 2020, the focus of the project is on EUAV experiences and capaci-ty building in deployment countries. We also look back on our International Volunteer Day celebrations at the end of 2019 when we gathered together to celebrate volunteers worldwide. Wishing everyone the best in light of these COVID-19 times.

COVID-19 Update – Remote work as an EUAV

Flashback - International Volunteer Day 2019 Celebrations

Deployments

Vacancies

Targeting Capacity Building in Palestine

Employment Opportunities for Venezuelan Refugees in Colombia

2

2

3

4

4

4

COVID-19 Update – Remote work as an EUAV During these COVID-19 times, HOPE partners and EUAVs have been

challenged in the current situation and are experiencing unique deployment

circumstances. Both sending and hosting organizations have had a height-

ened focus on EUAV well-being given the health implications of COVID-19

and taken action in the best interests of all. Many have been repatriated over

the past weeks; however, they have demonstrated resilience in continuing to

provide remote support to their country operations and projects either in their

duty stations or in their home countries.

The Estonian Refugee Council highlights the experience of two EUAVs

deployed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

offices in the Balkans who have remained at their duty stations in Albania and

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). They work from home full-time, abiding by the

local rules implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19. They share their

experience, challenges and lessons learned:

The onset of the emergency in BiH and Albania happened very suddenly. In

Albania, within four days of the first case being confirmed, the government

shut down all schools and also brought in strict movement restrictions for

cars and pedestrians - enforced partly by the military. Meanwhile, BiH de-

clared a state of emergency in the country- stringent measures were quickly

applied to avoid the spreading of the disease and cope with the situation due

to limited capacities in the country. Both countries stopped all commercial

flights. In this fast-moving context, sending andhosting organisations, togeth-

er with EUAVs had to very quickly figure out what the options were - even

though the situation was changing by the minute.

A decision was taken that both UNHCR associates, Holly and Lily, would stay

in their duty stations. Firstly, because their home countries were dealing with

medical crises of their own (especially Northern Italy, Lily’s home), and not

less importantly, there was also a lot of work to do in supporting UNHCR’s

populations of concern during the emergency.

Even though Holly has been working from her home in Tirana for seven weeks

now, she is optimistic: “I am grateful for the fact that I still have the routine

and a sense of purpose through my EUAV position. My sending and hosting

organisations have been fantastic in supporting me throughout and making

sure that I am alright, especially as I live alone. To have left would have added

more uncertainty into what was already an uncertain situation, and I feel most

useful here. No regrets!” To replace her social life with meaningful activities at

home, she has dedicated time to old hobbies like painting and reading and

has been keeping up her fitness through online workouts.

For Lily, who is staying alone in Sarajevo, she is organizing her days around

her work tasks for UNHCR, participating in online meetings with colleagues

and creative sessions to relax at the end of the day. But that is not all: “I

always make sure that I am taking good care of my mental and physical

health. Very quickly, I understood that I could experience this situation in two

ways: negatively or positively. I chose the latter and made the best out of this

situation.” She has come up with an idea of giving online yoga lessons and

is building resilience by creating a space for EUAVs to support each other.

Two or three times a week, EUAVs now meet for virtual yoga lessons. Holly

appreciates this initiative: “That’s been a great help in managing stress, as

well as providing some much needed stretching and relief after working from

home all day in an uncomfortable kitchen chair!”

Lily is content, for she has been able to build upon a long entertained idea: “I

was able to share Lilyogaflow.com with other EUAVs, including my ex-EUAV

flatmate who was repatriated and an EUAV friend who is now working in

BiH from another programme. All this has been a great opportunity for me

to develop a project around yoga that I have been dreaming of building for

years. Sharing these journeys within a virtual space has helped us all to let go

of common tensions and fears together. My interpretation of yoga includes

sharing smiles and connecting globally.”

Flashback – International Volunteer Day Celebrations 2019The 5th of December marks the International Volunteers Day where we cel-

ebrate volunteers worldwide and remember the importance of the work they

engage in. In our last newsletter, HOPE partners were organizing their own

way to celebrate volunteers’ and EUAVs’ contributions to the programs of our

organizations and country operations. For the International Volunteer Day 2019,

HOPE partners celebrated the day in Tunisia, Kosovo Ukraine, Spain, Uganda,

and Denmark.

The Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) headquarters organized an appreciation

event of volunteerism in Copenhagen, Denmark, where over 150 volunteers

from different local organizations were invited for screening of the film “Human

Flow” directed by Ai Weiwei, followed by a reception with food and drinks in the

lobby. DRC country offices in Kosovo, Tunisia, Uganda & Ukraine also took part

on the 5th of December; from networking events where volunteers could share

and exchange experiences in Tunis or coming together for a shared dinner in

Kiev to which the EU delegation in country were invited, EUAVs were celebrated

for their dedication and commitments.

Alianza believes in the power of people to change the world. Whether through

activism, in Alianza’s fair commerce shop, or with the European Union via the

EU Aid Volunteers Initiative and the Solidarity Corps, Alianza’s volunteers take

on important roles to set in motion this change.There are many reasons to

become a volunteer. To build a better world; to do your bit for society; to uphold

and make the rights of women visible; to start in the cooperation world, to fight

against injustice, to contribute to the social change, to learn about new cultures.

Photographer Angelica Dass celebrated Alianza’s volunteers in a photography

exhibit which represented one of the thousand reasons to become a volun-

teer and tell a story about people who one day decided to join Alianza and

collaborate in creating a more fair and better world. They took the opportunity

to invite a former EU Aid Volunteer formerly deployed to Palestine to share her

experiences and learnings of what volunteering brings to a person.

Click here to visit their exhibition:

http://www.aidvolunteers.org/sobranlosmotivos/

Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) celebrated the 5th of December by sharing

the story of one of their own deployed EUAVs, Adrienne Hurtut, who worked as

a Marketing Specialist in Lebanon. Click here to see how she got to support a

small business operated by Syrian refugee during her deployment.

https://www.facebook.com/pagulasabi/posts/3224812997535134

HOPE NEWSLETTERV O L U M E 4 / M AY 2 0 2 0

2

Serbia

KosovoMontenegroAlbania

Bosnia andHerzegovina

Ukraine

Georgia

LebanonPalestine

Tunisia

Kenya

Ethiopia

Myanmar

Zambia

Uganda

Tanzania

Brazil

Colombia

El Salvador

DeploymentsHOPE aims at deploying 46 volunteers, 12 Senior and 34 Junior to the countries highlighted on the map. Currently there are 2 deployments on

hold: one to Myanmar and one to Georgia, pending to start once the Covid-19 crisis is over.

At present the candidates are deployed in country or continuing their contract remotely from their home country due to COVID-19.

The average length of deployments is 7 months, being 14 months the longest deployment and 1 month the shortest.

Number of volunteers:Albania: 2 / Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2 / Brazil: 2 / Colombia: 4 / El Salvador: 2 / Ethiopia: 1 / Georgia: 8 / Kenya: 2 / Kosovo: 3 / Lebanon: 2

Montenegro: 2 / Myanmar: 2 / Palestine: 2 / Tanzania: 1 / Tunisia: 1 / Uganda: 2 / Ukraine: 7 / Zambia: 1

HOPE NEWSLETTERV O L U M E 4 / M AY 2 0 2 0

The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptancy by the European Union and any of the HOPE consortium partners. It does not constitute an official map.

3

Deployed

95%

44 out of 4633 deployments already finished

Current open

positionsThere are currently no open positions

Trainedcandidates

100%0%

70 out of 70there will be no more

candidates sent to

trainings

Vacancies

HOPE NEWSLETTERV O L U M E 4 / M AY 2 0 2 0

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS

HOPE INDUCTION

FACE-TO-FACETRAINING

INTERVIEWS

DEPLOYMENT

ONLINETRAININGPHASE

POST-DEPLOYMENT(DEBRIEFING)

FINALDECISION ON CANDIDATE

Strengthening organizational capacity, also referred to by the term “capacity

building” is one of the trends in the current development projects globally. How-

ever, it is not always what lies behind this concept. Read further to hear from

Tatiana Petrikovicova, a Project Officer from Alianza por la Solidaridad Palestine

(Alianza) who explains how Alianza defines capacity building and its implemen-

tation in their Palestine programmes:

Here in Alianza, we focus on strengthening the capacities of local actors, such

as non-profit organizations and communities, by increasing professionalism

of the services they provide, but also through individual empowerment of

vulnerable groups, with a focus on girls and women. Capacity building is an

essential part of all our interventions since it contributes to the achievement of

the overall project’s goals. Although this process is often long and demanding,

it brings many benefits, for instance, better quality and efficiency, strengthening

local and regional cooperation, and enhancing abilities, motivation and skills of

employees.”

You might be asking: How does capacity building look in reality? Alianza bases

its activities on a participatory approach and implements them particularly

through consultations, workshops and trainings covering three strategic fields:

multisectoral services, economic empowerment and active citizenship. When

preparing workshops or trainings, Alianza puts great emphasis on orientation

to specific results. The aim of the activities is not only to discuss the relevant

topics or to exchange experiences, but, above all, to develop concrete and

practical steps and plans that will lead to the implementation of the required

changes in the daily life of the individuals, organization or community.

Alianza’s research and experience from fieldwork show that the groups in

greatest need to develop their capacities are women, who are also identified

as the most at risk of gender-based violence (GBV). These are women and girls

with disabilities, Bedouin women and girls, females who are internally displaced

or refugees as well as those females from a poor household. The available ser-

vices for these groups and the capacity and quality of service providers remain

limited. Therefore, Alianza’s commitment is not only to support the personal

empowerment of individuals, but also to help scale up and improve service

quality for the identified groups of women specifically.

The Gender-Based Violence Quality Assessment Tool developed within Alian-

za’s projects is used for this purpose and represents another form of capacity

building. This tool offers health care facilities and multisectoral service providers

a straightforward way to start, strengthen or expand GBV services through the

use of evidence-based standards.

The above example illustrates that capacity building activities do not always

have to be realized through the training of the individual actors or employees.

Defining general standards of provided services which the organization will then

strive to achieve can also contribute to the development of the organization and

the improvement of its work. This way may be particularly useful for organi-

zations who do not have the opportunity to participate in workshops, but still

requested the support in strengthening their capacities.

Although the primary group of Alianza’s beneficiaries are women, they are

aware of the need to develop the capacities of men as well. Since they serve

as potential agents of change in challenging established gender norms, their

engagement in women’s development interventions is strongly supported,

offering men the opportunity to participate in activities, encouraging them to

adopt positive masculinities and promote more gender-equitable relationships

between men and women.

As Alianza’s experience shows, activities to strengthen the organizational ca-

pacity can take many forms and can be targeted at different groups. If activities

are based on an analysis of community or organization needs and conducted in

a participatory manner, they can contribute to improving the quality of services

offered, while strengthening the motivation of the individuals who participate in

them.

We receive so many uplifting stories from deployed EUAVs all over the world

that are worth sharing. One of them is from Debora who has been deployed

as a Livelihoods Officer in Medellin, Colombia, where she supported the local

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office. Specifically,

Debora was acting as UNHCR’s focal point for private sector engagement in

Medellin and among other things, she engaged private business to take social

responsibility for including some of the many newly arrived refugees from neigh-

boring Venezuela in the local economy.

“I have had the opportunity to learn good practices from local entrepreneurs

and engage new ones into corporate social responsibility and new partner-

ships”, Debora explained, giving us a clear example of how her work can make

a real difference to refugees as well as to local businesses.

In a smaller city on the outskirts of Medellin, a local restaurant is extending

employment opportunities to refugees from Venezuela. The restaurant, which

recently opened, hired staff from both Colombia and Venezuela. One staff

member, Manuel*, is a Venezuelan refugee who sought international protection

in the neighboring country. He left his home in 2018, where he was the owner

of a restaurant with more than 20 employees. Due to the crisis and difficulties

in covering his basic needs, he migrated with the hope of starting a new life

in Colombia. Antonia*, the owner and native Colombian also had her own

experiences of living abroad as an economic migrant in Canada. She connected

with Manuel through their shared experiences as migrants as well as restaurant

entrepreneurs. From Antonia’s own experience in Canada, she understood the

difficulties a person faces when leaving the country of origin and could relate

to Manuel’s situation. Starting as a waiter, Manuel soon proved his experience

in the restaurant business and scaled up to become Maître D’ (head waiter)

in the restaurant. As Antonia said: “He is now the best person in our staff, very

intelligent and picks up fast whatever we teach him. He is eager to learn.”

“Antonia is a great example of how the private sector can support refugees

and migrants arriving in a new country”, Debora said. With this and many other

examples, she engaged with companies and small businesses who have little

to no information about the process of hiring immigrants and may have many

doubts about it. She did this with the help of Antonia and other great entrepre-

neurs, advocating about the benefits of hiring displaced persons who try hard

to make a new life in Colombia.

*Manuel and Antonia are invented name to keep the identity of sources confi-

dential.

Targeting Capacity building in Palestine

Employment Opportunities for Venezuelan Refugees in Colombia

4

There are currently no vacancies available. Stay tuned in 2021 for

more deployment opportunities.

https://drc.ngo/relief-work/the-drc-stand-by-roster/our-rosters/

eu-aid-volunteers-roster