Photo: World Youth Festival

Volunteering is one of the most important areas of humanitarian cooperation among the CIS member states. Volunteer activities unite millions of people who are willing to help society selflessly, participate in patriotic, social, environmental, cultural, and educational projects, and to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding among the peoples of the Commonwealth.

A significant event was the declaration of 2024 as the Year of Volunteerism in the CIS. A large-scale programme was implemented in the Commonwealth countries, which included more than 140 international and national events: forums, conferences, educational programmes, volunteer actions, experience exchanges and joint projects. Special attention was paid to the development of youth volunteerism, the preservation of historical memory, environmental initiatives, social support for the population and the development of international cooperation between volunteer organizations. The results of the programme confirmed the high potential of the volunteer movement as an important tool for humanitarian integration of the CIS countries.

An important step was the adoption of the Decision on granting the Association of Volunteer Centers (Russian Federation) the status of the CIS basic organization for the volunteer movement development as well as granting the State educational institution “Republican Institute of Higher Education” (Republic of Belarus) the status of CIS basic organization for the scientific and methodological support of the youth volunteer movement. Their activities are aimed at coordinating cooperation between the states, exchanging best practices, training volunteers, conducting joint educational programs, providing scientific and methodological support, and implementing international projects. The establishment of such centers allows for the consolidation of the accumulated experience of the Commonwealth countries and the creation of a sustainable cooperation system in the field of volunteering.

Today, the volunteer movement in the CIS continues actively develops, bringing together thousands of organizations and millions of volunteers. Joint initiatives contribute to strengthening humanitarian ties between states, expanding youth cooperation, and fostering a culture of mutual assistance. The experience gained during the Year of the Volunteer Movement, as well as the establishment of basic organizations, lays a solid foundation for the further development of volunteerism as a key area of cooperation among the CIS member states.

All the information provided via the links is in Russian.