Volunteering and Globalisation debated at the IV National R-VES Volunteering Meeting

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto hosted the IV National Meeting of the Higher Education Volunteering Network (R-VES), an event that brought together around 80 participants to reflect on volunteering in the global context. The main aim of the network is to coordinate and articulate volunteering initiatives between higher education institutions, promoting the sharing of good practices at national and international level. Founded on 18 October 2019 in the Teresa Gamito Auditorium at the University of the Algarve, R-VES began its journey with 15 institutions and currently has 49 members.

The meeting, which took place on 25 November and was entitled ‘Volunteering and Globalisation’, included four thematic panels and an opening conference, covering topics such as: ‘The concept, characteristics and benefits of volunteering’, ‘Institutional enhancement of volunteering’, ‘Development of human and technical skills’, ‘Legislation and sources of funding’ and ‘Real-life testimonies from volunteers’. Participants highlighted volunteering as an essential tool for social transformation, emphasising its role in broadening cultural, scientific and personal horizons.

The initiative had the support of Porto City Council and the collaboration of organisations such as ORSIES, CPV, Pista Mágica and CASES, reinforcing the commitment to the development of volunteering in Portugal. The event's organising committee included Carmo Themudo and Rita Paiva e Pona (Universidade Católica Portuguesa), Edite Oliveira (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), Lina Antunes (Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa), Maria Clara Martins (Universidade do Porto) and Paula Morais (Universidade Portucalense).