ESC: Support and follow-up of youngster in Citizen Service in Leuven

The Citizen Service Network / Platform Jongeren voor de Samenleving/Plateforme pour le Service Citoyen/ Plattform für einen Bürgerdienst, is a non-profit association, created in 2007. It currently unites more than 700 organisations around a common goal: the implementation of a Citizen Service for young people aged between 18 and 25 in Belgium. The Citizen Service offers young people from all walks of life the opportunity to get involved in projects that are useful to the community. Young people commit themselves for 6 months, full time, individually or in teams, while benefiting from a training programme, an allowance, an insurance and recognition. For the young person, it is a way for acquiring skills while learning how to live together. The alternation of periods of concrete missions and periods of time spent in training contributes effectively to the social, civic and professional awareness of the young person. The Citizen Service Network articulates its work around 6 activities: 1) Enlargement: the Platform federates a growing number of associations and public utility organisations in order to obtain their active support (adherent or supporting members). 2) Advocacy: the Platform lobbies public authorities and political representatives in order to obtain a legal framework for the Citizen Service; it makes civil society aware of the importance of the societal issues (solidarity, social cohesion, participative citizenship...) underpinned by the creation of a Citizen Service 3) Operations: since 2011, different pilot projects have been developped. Now, they cover the territories of the Walloon Region, the Brussels Region and the Flemish Region. 4) Research & Publication: our organisation leads a research committee, organises working meetings and seminars and publishes studies and articles. 5) Communication: we communicate to the widest possible audience about the project and its societal impacts (website, brochures, press conference, audiovisual report, media campaign, radio spot, press articles...). 6) European development: since 2010, the Platform has organised seminars, international conferences and exchanges of young volunteers from different European countries. The objective is to exchange good practices, build a European network in the field of Civic/Citizen Service and develop European exchanges between young people to foster a sense of European belonging among young people.