Active citizenship and voluntarism
Active citizenship is the ability of citizens to organize themselves and mobilize human, technical and financial
resources, and to act with differentiated methods and strategies to protect rights by exercising powers and
responsibilities aimed at the care and development of common goods.
So, in short, the concept of citizenship is based on cooperation and mutual respect.
The goal is to educate citizens, who are capable of playing their role in guiding political choices and promoting
behavior inspired by the principles of a sustainable economy, development and society.
The State is not always able to satisfy all the needs of society, due to the large amount of requests, costs and
needs to manage.
To address these shortcomings, the State promotes initiatives and encourages the creation of associations that
bring together a large number of volunteers, who have the task of supporting public bodies in their efforts,
without any compensation or recognition. These are men and women who are committed to helping others
and working together to contribute to society.
What drives these people to act altruistically is an inner motivation, a sort of call to action that comes from
their own beliefs and values.
Voluntarism is the act of contributing free labor to conduct community service or support a nonprofit
organization. It is the principle of donating time and energy towards a good cause. Volunteers help change the
lives of those in their community, without receiving a financial reward.
So volunteering means giving up something to give it to someone who needs help and support. It's not an easy
choice, since we receive nothing in return materially, but the reward is much greater. It's not just the "thank
you" we receive, but the satisfaction of having made someone smile, of having given a little happiness to those
who suffer and have fewer opportunities.
Many young people say that volunteering is also fun, as they get the chance to be with their friends, make new
friends and gain new experiences.
