EVHAC European voluntary humanitarian aid corps

Background

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest humanitarian network. It represents 186 countries and reunites 97 million people. The Movement, based on the Geneva Conventions, is neutral and impartial and provides protection and assistance to people affected by disasters and conflicts.

As partners, the different members of the Movement, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the 186 member RC/RC Societies, support communities in becoming stronger and safer through a variety of humanitarian activities. The Movement also works in cooperation with governments, donors and other aid organizations to assist vulnerable people around the world.

The French Red Cross

The French RC is a non-profit organization, composed of 52 000 volunteers, committed for more than 140 years to fight against precarious situations in France and at the international level. Every year, the French RC supports 1 million people in France and participates to more than 76 projects worldwide.

The EVHAC Red Cross Pilot Project

The project, funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department, aims at participating in the improvement of the quality of humanitarian aid in the field and at the building of European solidarity at an international level, through a device offering to 21 young European professionals an enhancive and supervised learning opportunity. The project was launched in September and will last 15 months with a deployment phase of 6 months, starting in March 2012. It brings together the Bulgarian, the Finnish, the Austrian, the German and the French Red Cross Societies with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies.

Opportunities for Volunteers

The project will offer the volunteers an extended training and learning experience from January to November 2012. The 21 volunteers will be trained together through the IFRC training “the International Mobilisation Prepraration ACTion” adapted to the EVHAC concept in the Red Cross centre of Modane, France. The training will take place from January 23rd to February 2nd 2012, in English. The training will offer them key knowledge on general humanitarian setting, the Red Cross Movement, European and humanitarian values, volunteering, with a special focus on security & cultural awareness, and will prepare them for the field (working with hosting national societies and capacity-building, disaster risk management, etc.).

E-learning modules will also have to be completed by the volunteers before the training or departure (RC’s WORC, Code of Conduct, Stay Safe, URD’s quality mission module…). The project will also offer the volunteers the opportunity to meet RC and EU people and institutions through visits to Geneva and Brussels. The training will be followed by pre-departure administrative and operational processes, medical check-ups, briefings.

Between March/April and September/October 2012, the volunteers will be deployed to their fields where they will be guided and advised by a mentor from the sending National Society’s delegation. The assignments will include the development of specific knowledge and skills according to each volunteer’s individual professional project and the needs of the field. During the mission the volunteers will be in regular contact with their peers and with the coordination (at their National Society and at the French Red Cross). The project will also support the volunteers’ return and professional continuation. In November 2012, all volunteers will be gathered with the project’s partners for a capitalization workshop aiming at building on their experience and formulating recommendations for the future of the EVHAC.

Deployment Fields

The volunteers will be deployed to different types of fields of the globe in pre or post-emergency contexts that will guarantee minimum standard requirements of security and that will host Disaster Risk Reduction (prevention, mitigation, preparedness) or Early Recovery projects. The field missions welcoming the volunteers will ensure the possibility for them to participate in the capacity-building activities between the hosting National Society and the French RC delegation in a given context. The 6 months-mission will provide the volunteers with structured and supervised learning opportunities. The delegations might welcome up to 2 volunteers from different partners and backgrounds. The assignments will have the objectives to contribute to the good implementation of the programs and to develop targeted skills. The tasks will therefore include participation to general project management (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, proposal writing, logistics, administration and finance), to specific expertise and capacity-building activities (disaster risk preparedness, prevention or mitigation activities, early recovery activities).

Who Can Be an EVHAC Volunteer

All volunteers, selected through each National Society, will have in common to be EU citizens, fluent in English, and the ambition to become professional humanitarian workers. The recruitment campaign starts on November 2nd 2011 in each partner’s country and will last 14 days. Information will be available on all partners’ websites. The French RC is recruiting 9 volunteers.

Anyone meeting the Detailed Criteria listed below can apply:

- To be between 21 and 35
- To be a EU citizen
- To be fluent in English and French
- To have limited or no extended professional experience in international humanitarian aid
- To demonstrate strong commitment towards Solidarity
- To have the ambition to become a professional humanitarian aid worker
- To be medically apt to travel and work in a development country
- To be available from January to the end of November 2012 (including pre-departure e-learning, training & briefings and return debriefings & capitalization).
- To have degree / training in international humanitarian management or specific technical expertise related to Disaster Risk Reduction (which includes activities linked to natural disasters preparedness, prevention of epidemics or famine, etc.) or Early Recovery (sectors such as shelter, nutrition/food, wash-water, sanitation, hygiene, health, psychosocial support, etc.)
- To know and show European / Humanitarian values

Selfless Commitment

The project aims at recruiting volunteers that are committed to live a first selfless experience that will enable them to immerse themselves in the humanitarian objectives of their mission.

The volunteers will have their basic expenses covered such as accommodation, local transportation and food. Insurances, international travel and training costs will also be covered by the project.