Phiren Amenca

Key Phiren Amenca Events & Programs

Annual platform meeting

Each spring Phiren Amenca hosts a 3-4 day “Phiren Amenca Annual Platform Meeting” bringing together member organizations, former volunteers and partner organizations in order to share experiences and practices, and to address annual thematic priorities and quality questions of our work. One day will be dedicated to the General Assembly of Phiren Amenca and to the Platform of Former Volunteers.

Volunteer seminars

Each spring and fall Phiren Amenca hosts in cooperation with member organizations a one week seminar for current volunteers from around Europe focusing on the exchange of experience and on Roma history, discrimination, stigmatization, xenophobia, identity and culture; globalization and migration; as well as youth engagement and Roma initiatives in Europe.

Site visits

The Phiren Amenca coordination office undertakes regularly site visits to its member and partner organizations in order to strengthen the cooperation within the network, giving support and services to both organizations and volunteers directly.

Platform of volunteers

Phiren Amenca strives to create a platform for volunteers and former volunteers, in order to create further opportunities for dialogue, non-formal education and engagement, and to strengthen their role as multipliers and promoters of voluntary service. Phiren Amenca gives a high priority to youth participation and the rights of volunteers within its own structures and work. The platform will meet in the framework of the annual meeting, including the General Assembly.

Capacity-building of Roma organizations in voluntary service

Based on the Phiren Amenca strategy 2012-2014, the 2-year lasting program “Capacity-building of Roma organizations in Voluntary Service” is designed to invest into the capacity-building of new member organizations in the field of voluntary service. Phiren Amenca generally offers a platform of learning and quality development through its tools of the annual network meeting, the volunteer seminars, the mentoring seminars and the coordination office and resource centre based in Budapest. Nevertheless, with the new member organizations we analyzed the need to specifically invest into the management capacity of Roma self-organizations in order to fulfill the standards and professional needs of voluntary service programs. This capacity-building program is based on a philosophy and concept of a “coaching program”.