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On 11 August 1994

the four historic Samaritan organisations

• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Germany (1888)• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Austria (1927)

• ASF-Dansk Folkehjaelp, Denmark (1906) and

• Secouristes Français-Croix Blanche, France (1892)

merged to become SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL

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The organisation has now been extended by the organisations:• Asociácia Samritánov Slovenskej Republiky, Slowakei• Asociace Samaritànú Ceské Republiky, Tschechien• Országos Szamaritánus Társaság Szövetsége, Ungarn• Latvijas Samariesu apvieniba, Lettland• Lietuvos Samarieciu Bendrija, Litauen• Weißes Kreuz Südtirol, Italien• Samarytanska Federacja Organizacja Pozarzadowych, Polen• Samariter-Bund der Ukraine Kreisverband Kiew e.V.• Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze, Italien

Far more than– three million supporting members, – around 130.000 volunteers and – more than 30.000 full-time employees

form the basis of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL and the network in thethirteen organisations and countries.

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What was the motivation for the foundationof SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL?

Since the 1930‘s there didn‘t exist a European Samaritan federationanymore and the historic Samaritan organisations existed on a national level only.

There didn‘t exist a European federation• of non-governmental organisations• that are independent from political parties and churches• and that are working in the areas of first-aid training, rescue service and

civil protection.

Due to several new foundations in the course of the processes of changein the societies of the Central and Eastern European countries the needarose to find an organisational level on which old and new Samaritanorganisations can meet on the same basis and cooperate.

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What unites the members of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL?

All member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL

• are working in at least one of the areas first-aid training, rescue serviceand civil protection,

• are independent from political parties and churches, • are non-government organisations,• have a democratic internal structure,• fulfill their tasks by the involvement of volunteers,• aim at social relevance and the creation of a self-financing basis (in

addition to remunerations) by the acquisition of the greatest possiblenumber of supporting members,

• have a full-time leadership and honorary supervisory and leading bodies,• are characterised by the control of the leadership by the members and• regard themselves as an outgrowth of the historical Samaritan movement.

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Guiding principles of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL I.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is

• an international federation• of non-governmental organisations• that are independent from political parties and churches, • oriented towards the public welfare• and not aiming for profit• that are working in the areas of first aid in cases of emergencies

and diseases and aid in social distress• with democratic participation of a large number of citizens

as members, volunteers and supporters• and that regard themselves as an outgrowth of the historical

Samaritan movement.

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Guiding principles of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL II.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is committed

• to expanding a network of European aid systems ranging from• emergency first-aid services to emergency aid in response to disasters• on the basis of common minimum standards at the local, regional,

national and European level, • while allowing for flexibility at the regional level• involving the participation of non-governmental organisations.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL regards

• first-aid training, emergency rescue and transport services for the illas inseparable components of a networked aid system

• which cannot be viewed from the standpoint of competitive aspectsalone if the efficiency of the system as a whole is to be improved.

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Guiding principles of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL III.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is committed

• to the involvement of non-governmental organisations formed throughlocal and regional popular initiative in emergency rescue operations and transport services for the ill

• as a prerequisite for attractive, efficient, self-determined participation of volunteers in the field of disaster aid.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL• sees the involvement of volunteers as a basic prerequisite for a

functioning aid system, • promotes the establishment of appropriate framework conditions

for the voluntary work and supports the international exchange ofvolunteers.

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Guiding principles of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL IV.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL fosters mutual understanding amongall European aid systems through

• publications, • expert meetings, • conferences and • exchange programs among the member associations.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL sees first-aid training for the generalPublic as a basic prerequisite for self-help in everyday and extraordinaryemergency situations.

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Guiding principles of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL V.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL promotes

• mutual projects devoted to humanitarian aid abroad and • the coordination of SAMARITAN projects in the crisis areas.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL contributesto the development of a European civil society by fostering the growth ofpolitically neutral, non-sectarian, non-governmental organisations in Central and Eastern Europe.

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL considers itself• in matters relating to the development and implementation of

European standards for emergency medical care, volunteer workand humanitarian aid abroad

• a mediator between European institutions and its memberassociations.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? I.

Every four years organisation of a European specializedconference under the name „SAMARITAN Forum“

on the topics

• first-aid training,• rescue service,

• civil protection,

• humanitarian aid abraod,• voluntary work,

• fundraising

with many continuing education offers

at different places in Europe

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? II.

The General Secretariat of SAMARITAN

INTERNATIONAL publishes approx. on a quarterlybasis the newsletter SAMARITAN direct in all

languages of its member organisations and in

English. The newsletter is sent on demand by postor by e-mail to the personal address of active

members of the member organisations of

SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? III.

You will find a lot of backgroundinformation about• SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL,• its member organisations,• their areas of activity,• European institutionsand • latest news from the „Samaritan

world“

in German and English under www.samaritan.info

Additionally, the e-mail newsletter SAMARITAN news appears every four weeks.

It also refers in German and English to new information on the website.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? IV.

The working group EC First Aid which is reponsable

for cooperation in first-aid training has developed

standardised requirements for training contents andtrainers under the name European First Aid Certificate

• for the purpose of mutual recognition of the

training course certificates and• for the improvement of mutual understanding

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? V.

In the field of humanitarian aid abroad some member organisations mergedto become the working group Assistance in Disaster (SAMARITAN AID) .

The aims are• the development of a joint alert and information

mechanism for emergency aid,• by involvement of qualified and trained

volunteers,• organisation of joint trainings• coordination of projects of the member

organisations in crisis areas and• common use of projects in foreign countries for

public relations in the home countries.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? VI.

Partnerships of regional Samaritan organisations in Europe enablecross-border social engagement.In a partnership activities can cover the mutual exchange of experiencesto the joint execution of very concrete humanitarian and social projects. The exchange of experiences on the level of the local operational groupsopens up new perspectives for both sides and is in line with the basic aimsof SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL to give people in distress – withoutconsideration for political borders - help to self-help.

In order to promote this SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL has developed apartner program. Its core is the structured inquiry of interests on theSAMARITAN website and the publication of requests in theSAMARITAN media.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? VII.

The medical service market also enables the exchange amongstEmployees and volunteers of the member organisations. Its aim isto promote mutual Cross-border support of local Samaritan associationsat large events.

In future short work shadowings up to

two weeks will be offered in the rescueservice of another member organisation

for volunteers and employees.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? VIII.

For the exchange of volunteers a regularexchange program was agreed amongstthe different member organisations.

On the basis of the conjointly developedGuiding principles for voluntary workof the member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONALvolunteers will be deployed in thisprogram in different institutions and services of the other memberorganisation for at least six month.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? IX.

The following projects are still in their early stages:

Youth workA working group Youth International is existing for several years,that just recently made it its business• to foster the exchange via the training of youth leaders and• to participate every two years in the organisation of an international first-

aid youth contest entitled SAMARITAN Contest .

Voluntary workA working group is planned that works on • the exchange of knowledge and experience for

the acquisition and support of volunteers and • the preparation of exchange programs of volunteers

amongst the member organsiations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL.

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? X.

The following project is also in its early stages:

Rescue service and Civil protectionA short presentation of national rescue service and civil protectionsystems of the countries in which the member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL are located is widely carried out on theSAMARITAN website. In addition, a working group shall be set up whosetask shall be amongst others:

• development of forms of cooperating• amongst the member organisations

in the Community Civil ProtectionMechanism of the EU

• terminological work on the nationalterms of this special field

• definition of standards for mutualshort internships and work shadowingsrespectively

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What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do to foster mutual understanding? XI.

The European Union has many different influences on the activities of themember organisations. This ranges from• the provision of subsidies to• the European competition regulations that have impact on the status

of non-profit organisations to• the mechanisms of cross-border disaster relief.

Therefore it is necessary• to observe the latest European legal

developments• to be informed about the functioning

of the European institutions in order toexert influence for people entrusted in our care.

For this purpose, the General Secretariat uses ist media, particularly theSAMARITAN website and the SAMARITAN news .

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Organisational Structure I.

Associatedmembers

Full members Accreditedmembers

Advisory committee

(General meeting)

Presidium

1 President + 6 Vice-presidentsSecretary general

Working group

EC First Aid

Working group

Assistance in Disaster

Working group

Youth International

Working group(s)

...

appoint a guestmember without a vote

appoint members entitled to vote depending on thenumber of members

appoint a member without a vote

votes

appoints

gives job

reports

Develop suggestions for common rules and projects

Extraordinarymembers

may appoint a memberwithout a vote

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Organisatorische Struktur II.

‚Accredited Samaritan organisations‘ are registrated associations workingfor less than five years as non-governmental organisations(= membership on probation).

‚Associated members‘ are organisations declaring their support forindividual objectives of Samaritan International on international level.

‚Full members‘ unite all Samaritan organisations oriented towards theaim of the association as national Samaritan organisation and dispose of amembership of more than 3.000 natural persons(= full members with voting right in the advisory committee depending onthe number of members).

‚Extraordinary members‘ unite all Samaritan organizations in the countrydedicated to the objectives of the association as a national Samaritan organization and don‘t dispose of a membership of more than 3.000 naturalpersons (= membership without voting right in the advisory committee).

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Organisatorische Struktur III.

In order to improve the cooperation in the SAMARITAN boards and workinggroups and amongst the contributing employees and volunteers a passwordprotected area in the SAMARITAN website has been set up for these users,the so-called SAMARITAN Intern.

There are all documents and specialized information availablethat are or has been discussedand developed in the boards andworking groups(e.g. agendas, minutes, concepts, standards),

that are made available to the member organisations by the generalsecretarial office (e.g. on European support programs, decisions of the EuropeanCourt of Justice, regulations),

that are made available by the respective member organisations(e.g. manuals, quality standards and position reports on projects in foreign countries)

Thank you for your attention!