IECAH organises the first on-site edition of the European Solidarity Corps volunteers course

The Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action (IECAH) is organising this week the first edition of the face-to-face course for volunteers who are candidates for volunteering in humanitarian aid of the European Solidarity Corps. El Escorial has been chosen as the venue for this training course, which enables participants to access volunteer opportunities in different countries around the world.

Throughout the week, 21 volunteers from different parts of Europe will follow a classroom training that addresses various aspects necessary for the proper development of their volunteer positions. The training will be given by different professionals from the sector, and experts in the field, supported by IECAH staff as mentors and co-facilitators. Previously, all participants passed a 25-hour virtual training course that covered various key aspects of humanitarian action.

The content, divided into several modules, included tools for project cycle management, communication with different actors in the humanitarian sector, working in teams, intercultural communication, security, stress and health management and prevention of risky behaviour. During the last two days of the training, participants will have to put all the acquired knowledge into practice during a role play in which they will have to pass different tests and prepare different materials for the realisation of the commissioned project.

This training is part of the new call 2023-2027 of the European Solidarity Corps, which includes various programmes, including volunteering in humanitarian aid. Participants are required to complete this training in order to be eligible for volunteering opportunities with organisations participating in the programme. After the week of training, they will receive a certificate of completion of the course and their profile will be activated in the volunteer management platform.

IECAH organises these training courses as part of an international consortium of five organisations, including IECAH (Spain), Lattanzio Kibs and Punto Sud (Italy), Bioforce (France) and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) (Germany). The consortium, which reports to the European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA), is responsible for organising this training programme, both online and face-to-face, in four different locations, including Milan, Madrid, Lyon and Bochum. As a novelty in this call, the courses are taught in English in Milan and Bochum, in French in Lyon, and in Spanish in Madrid.

Humanitarian action is a defining feature of the EU. The European Solidarity Corps is a unique opportunity for young Europeans to discover a fundamental component of Europe’s international role. The consortium to which IECAH belongs has a wealth of experience accumulated from very diverse geographical and thematic backgrounds. We work from Spain, Italy, France and Germany, bringing together think tanks, specialised training centres, universities and specialised companies to offer quality training to volunteers thanks to a team of specialists with extensive experience in the humanitarian field.

Camille Nussbaum, Executive Coordinator