Press Releases

On Monday, October 26, 2020, the Commissioner for Volunteerism and Non-Governmental Organizations gave a press conference at the events hall of the Presidential Palace. At The conference the Commissioner presented the new campaign of the Office for Active Citizenship. With the message "Become an Active Citizen", the campaign highlights the multiple benefits of active citizenship, not only for society, but also for the volunteers themselves on a personal level. The aim is to raise the awareness of the youth and to encourage them to get involved in volunteering. Active citizenship brings only positive results, regardless of the interests and fields of activity of each volunteer.

As the Commissioner characteristically stated in his greeting: "With this campaign for the promotion of the active citizen, which is carried out in collaboration with the Press and Information Office, we want to develop a culture of volunteering, emphasizing the new generation and the humanitarian, social and environmental role of volunteering, its important contribution to personal development by acquiring new skills and knowledge, outside of formal education, but also as the most important tool of prevention against addiction  and delinquency. For this reason, we want to further strengthen the “Experiential Learning Activities” in schools, utilizing the “Handbook for Teachers for Cultivation of Volunteerism and Active Citizenship”. Given that the family environment influences the culture of children and young people, I would like to call on parents to encourage their children to join the volunteering movement. The benefits are enormous, both individually and socially. "

It is noted that the Campaign for Active Citizenship was created and will be promoted in collaboration with the Press and Information Office.

The results of the Volunteer Survey in Cyprus were presented, next. The Survey was conducted in 2017, as part of the survey of the Statistical Service of Cyprus regarding the Income and Living Conditions of Households. Specifically, questions were included regarding the involvement of Cypriots aged 16 and over, in voluntary activities, either individually or collectively. A similar survey was conducted in 2015.

The survey showed that 12.4% of the population engaged in voluntary activities, including blood donation. Without blood donation, which was not included in the previous survey in 2015, the percentage is 8.7%.

It is noteworthy that 43% of active volunteers, either collectively or individually, are 16-39 years old. This shows that the tendency towards Volunteering is increasing at a younger age. Women constitute the majority of the participation in voluntary work, with a percentage of 55.5%. Men make up the majority of 63.5% of participants in public consultations, while employees are more likely to participate in voluntary work and / or public consultation with 62%.

The Commissioner for Volunteering and NGOs welcomed the results of the survey, which he described as very encouraging. The implementation of the integrated policy and targeted actions, in combination with the new campaign for Active Citizenship, the field of Volunteering in Cyprus will be strengthened, highlighting its role in tackling modern social problems.

(ND)