World Heritage Volunteers Initiative
Within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative was launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) to mobilize and involve young people and youth organizations in World Heritage preservation and promotion.
World Heritage Volunteers 2018
List of selected projects
© UNESCO-CCIVS-BVBP
Campaigns
World Heritage Volunteers 2018
World Heritage Volunteers 2017
World Heritage Volunteers 2016
World Heritage Volunteers 2015
World Heritage Volunteers 2014
World Heritage Volunteers 2013
World Heritage Volunteers 2012
World Heritage Volunteers 2011
World Heritage Volunteers 2010
World Heritage Volunteers 2009
World Heritage Volunteers 2008
10 years
of fruitful experience
3500
3500 volunteers
have participated
359
359 action camps
have been held
61
in 61 countries
around the world
122
with 122 local
organizations and NGOs
The project continues to receive a considerable amount of attention on social media, raising awareness of World Heritage issues and volunteer activity opportunities among youths. Due to outstanding growth of World Heritage Volunteers Initiatives, World Heritage Centre has collaborated with global and regional partners for the implementation of World Heritage Volunteers action camps.
Objectives
©Jeremie Jung-UNESCO-CCIVS
To raise awareness among young people, volunteers, local communities, and concerned authorities of the need to protect and promote World Heritage.
To get young people involved in World Heritage preservation through concrete projects at sites, allowing them to learn new skills and express ideas.
Provide young people with opportunities to learn basic preservation and conservation techniques.
Foster cooperation between youth organizations, communities, site management and authorities.
Identify best practices and develop non-formal education tools to facilitate stakeholders’ participation in World Heritage education.
Action Camps
©
The World Heritage Volunteers action camps are organised by local youth organisations, NGO’s, heritage or education related institutions or other organisations.
The action camps generally have a minimum of 10 full days of activities, where young volunteers carry out concrete actions, comprising both hands-on preventive conservation activities and awareness sessions on issues related to World Heritage, as well as other activities carried out together with local communities. Each action camp accommodates ten to thirty national and international volunteer participants.
Coordination
Since the initiative has reached a new phase of development where it has become an essential youth-involved volunteer initiative, World Heritage Volunteer is now coordinated in collaboration with CCIVS and regional coordination by European Heritage Volunteers and Better World.
World Heritage Centre is responsible for the overall World Heritage Volunteers initiative by direction and supervision of the whole coordination.
European Heritage Volunteers, as a branch of Open Houses, has been in charge of regional coordination in Europe since 2014.
CCIVS is responsible for the global coordination of the initiative and in charge of regional coordination in Africa, Arab States and Latin America.
Better World has been in charge of regional coordination in Asia since 2015.
In common, all coordinators are responsible to promote the initiative, assist the participating organisations and evaluate their action camps as the regional coordinators.
As each coordinator has played a role in a platform to communicate between World Heritage Centre and the organisations participating in World Heritage Volunteers, the organisations which are interested in the action camps for World Heritage Volunteers are required to contact with each regional coordinator directly.
CCIVS
(Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service)
The CCIVS is an International Non-Governmental Organisation engaged in the field of International Voluntary Service, created under the aegis of the UNESCO in 1948. It brings together more than 200 international and national organisations from all over the world.
Website: ccivs.org
Contact to Ms Victoria Lovelock (Director) secretariat@ccivs.org (for projects in Africa, Arab states and latin America)
European Heritage Volunteers (as branch of Open Houses)
European Heritage Volunteers has organised volunteering and educational projects at cultural and natural heritage sites since 2000. The programme, partly organised by European Heritage Volunteers and partly in cooperation with other institutions and organisations, aims both to professionals and volunteers without heritage-linked skills and includes conservation and restoration activities, training courses in handcraft, projects for students, volunteer camps and other projects providing education and awareness raising in the field of heritage.
Website www.heritagevolunteers.eu
Contact to Mr. Bert Ludwig info@heritagevolunteers.eu (for projects in Europe)
Better World
Better World / International Workcamp Organization, is a Korea-based non-profit NGO created in 1999 whose main mission is to empower people and communities towards a shared vision of a peaceful and sustainable world, driven by engaged citizens. The main focus of Better World activities is on global education, community development and international volunteering, considered as complementary elements and tools to build a sustainable culture of peace.
Website http://www.1.or.kr/
Contact to Mr Francesco Volpiniwhv@betterworld.asia (for projects in Asia)
Frequently Asked Question
World Heritage Volunteers
What is World Heritage Volunteers?
Who selects and who organizes action camps?
Who can participate?
Is it possible to volunteer at a World Heritage site another way?
Are there any other requirements to become a World Heritage Volunteer?
For Organizations
How can my organization apply to run a World Heritage Volunteers project?
When is the deadline to apply to run a camp?
How long does the selection process take?
What are the criteria for selection?
What is the maximum number of projects the organization is eligible to apply for?
What are the details I should pay attention to when applying?
Who will decide whether my project will be part of that year’s World Heritage Volunteers campaign?
Will there be any financial support for the projects available?
How will organizations receive confirmation that they will take part in the World Heritage Volunteers initiative?
Will my project be monitored?
How will media promotion of the projects be supported?
Who is Patrimonito?
Can I use Patrimonito and the UNESCO and World Heritage logo in my project?
What is expected from the organization once the action camp has been held?
Where can I find more information about the World Heritage Volunteers initiative and previous campaigns?
News (15)
- Join the World Heritage Volunteers Campaign 2018 Friday, 27 April 2018
- Around 100 youth from across Kenya participated in the First UNESCO National Youth Workshop on Culture and Heritage in Kenya Tuesday, 10 April 2018
- World Heritage Volunteers 2018 – Call for Projects Saturday, 11 November 2017
- Join the World Heritage Volunteers 2017 campaign! Friday, 7 April 2017
- Director of World Heritage Centre addresses the First CCIVS Partnership Meeting Thursday, 9 February 2017
Events (2)
- World Heritage Volunteers 2013 - Call For Proposal 28-Jan-2013-30-Jan-2013
- 1st Asia Regional Forum of Site Managers and Youth NGOs: Linking networks 26-Aug-2012-30-Aug-2012