International Volunteer Programme

at  CIVICUS

The tasks in the International Programme include but are not limited to the following:

• Managing the International Democracy Community of democracy activists around the globe. Mapping and contacting activists working on issues of direct democracy and participation around the world. Sending out regular newsletters, collecting and editing journalistic inputs for the platform from activists. Organising webinars on topics related to democracy activism everywhere.
• Monitoring of national advocacy efforts and corresponding developments at the UN within the global alliance We The Peoples. This activity allows for an informed discussion on the UN and the state of transnational democracy.
• Expanding the alliance, especially around the UN World Citizens’ Initiative. The volunteer researches at least one NGO partner in each country of the world.
• In addition, the volunteer is involved in setting up a Member State Circle of Friends of the UN World Citizens’ Initiative at the UN General Assembly.
• Team assistance: You will provide general assistance to the team. This includes preparing documents, coordinating meetings, contributing to administrative tasks, social media and other ongoing projects.
• The volunteer records several experiences in Germany and with Democracy International in a social media blog. It is published on the Democracy International channels.
• Every volunteer has to attend a workshop series of at least 25 days during their stay in Germany. Approx. 12 seminar days will be allotted to an introductory, intermediate and evaluation seminar where you will also meet other volunteers in Germany. Added to this are a German language course at the beginning of your stay or before arrival, a 5-day compulsory political seminar organised by the German Federal Volunteering Service, i.e. the federal umbrella of volunteering services in Germany, and at least three days of seminars by NGOs in and around Cologne, the UN institutions in Bonn or by partner organisations across Europe around the issues of global/EU governance, democracy, SDGs, sustainability and decolonisation/racism.
• To support the volunteer‘s language acquisition of German, they are entitled to a leave of absence of 2 hours per week to take up further voluntary local activities in Cologne.

The weltwärts volunteering programme is a joint operation between the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the service for developmental initiatives Engagement Global and civil society. If you require more information on the weltwärts volunteering programme, please visit the programme webpage at https://www.weltwaerts.de/en/volunteers.html.
Duration: 12 months starting in March 2025.