Crisis Resilience in the Baltic Sea Region: Authorities and Volunteers Must Work Together
In June 2024, the CBSS concluded the transnational project "Volunteers and Local Authorities – Baltic Sea Region Network" (VOALA), funded by the Swedish Institute.
The VOALA project aimed to enhance society’s resilience to natural and man-made disasters by strengthening inclusive, cross-sectoral cooperation between authorities and volunteer organisations in crisis management.
State authorities are not always able to assist all members of society or possess the necessary local knowledge, connections, or capacity to address different needs. Therefore, gathering and engaging relevant state authorities and civil society organisations, improving coordination with voluntary organisations, and strengthening individual preparedness are crucial.
The VOALA project culminated in the document “An Overview of the Analysis and Conclusions Identified in the VOALA Project – Identifying Challenges, Good Practices, and Recommendations for Volunteering in Civil Protection in the Baltic Sea Region.”
Another key result of the project is the establishment of the BSR Network of Volunteer Organizations and Authorities (BSR NOVA). The objectives of this network are the following:
- To serve as a platform to enhance practical international cooperation and joint preparedness among authorities, volunteer organisations, and citizens in the field of civil protection.
- To act as a source of ideas, tools, reliable data and information, analysis, and policy guidance on issues related to civil protection.
- To increase the appeal of volunteering, especially among youth, and promote the culture of volunteerism in the Baltic Sea Region.
- To promote the role and mission of volunteers and share information on relevant international and regional standards relating to voluntary work in civil protection.
- To engage with various stakeholders, including state authorities, civil society, local authorities and communities, the private sector, academia, and other relevant parties, utilising and creating synergies with other existing mechanisms at all levels.
The Terms of Reference for BSR NOVA are available here.
To apply for network membership, please contact Vineta Polatside at [email protected] and/or Network Chair Kaisa Eskelinen at [email protected].
Read the full document, “An Overview of the Analysis and Conclusions Identified in the VOALA Project”, here.
