SCI Regranting 2025 of non-EU members25

Background and aims

The International Secretariat (IS) of Service Civil International (SCI) invited proposals from its member organisations based in non-European Union member states, for projects planned to take place in the 2025 year. This was possible in the scope of SCI’s Regranting Fund which was created during the 87th ICM. The aim of the Regranting Scheme is to financially support SCI activities in non-EU countries which would otherwise be difficult to fund.

Promotion and reactivation of volunteering

Promotion of SCI values

Community development

Community empowerment

Selected projects

In 2025 6 projects were selected for the regranting scheme:

Volunteer for Peace – VCV20 (Volontiraj za mir – VCV20)

Organised by Volunteers Centre of Vojvodina (VCV Serbia) with an awarded grant of 5,300€

VCV Serbia based in Novi Sad, Serbia organised a 7-month-long project called “Volunteer for Peace – VCV20”. The project aimed to promote volunteering and increase volunteering opportunities through the organisation of an event celebrating the 20 year anniversary of VCV. This event celebrated volunteering as a tool for peace and allowed old and new partner organisations to connect and reflect on VCV’s successes. The project also included the volunteer camp “Rebellious Folk of the Restless Plain” which cleared and prepared the land on which the regenerative homestead RE-habitus will be built. Overall, the project involved 362 participants.

Activities included the following: 

  1. Volunteer Camp “Rebellious Folk of the Restless Plain”: Tavaku, Serbia, August 2025: Participants helped to prepare the land for the regenerative homestead Re: habitus by cleaning and restoring a WWII monument and removing invasive species from the surrounding forest.
  2. Novi Sad, Serbia: 20-Year Anniversary Event of VCV: In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of VCV Serbia an event was hosted in Novi Sad which allowed old and new partners to meet up, connect and celebrate and reflect on VCVs successes.
  3. Live Broadcast and Outreach Campaign with old members and new partners

Key Results and Impacts

The anniversary event successfully strengthened connections between VCV and its partner organizations and fostered connections with new groups. Together with the live broadcast and outreach campaigns the event increased the visibility of SCI’s as an organization and promoted its values of volunteering as a tool for peace, dialogue and solidarity. The project also led to the creation of a documentary that captured VCVs achievements over the past 20 years and allowed volunteers to share their own experiences. The documentary was premiered at the 20th anniversary event in Novi Sad.

The volunteering project successfully removed invasive species, cleaned and restored the WWII monument and thus laid the groundwork for the regenerative homestead Re:habitus.

Moreover, the project inspired new ideas and practices for VCV to integrate into its long term strategy ranging rom an increased focus on sustainability, permaculture, grassroots practice, inclusivity and decentralization to new innovative outreach and marketing methods.

Harnessing the Power of Volunteerism: Enhancing Sustainable Food Production Through Ecosystem Restoration Against The Backdrop Of Climate Change

Organised by Zimbabwe Workcamps Association (ZWA) with an awarded grant of 5,500€

Zimbabwe Workcamps Association based in Harare, Zimbabwe organised a 2-week long project called “Harnessing the Power of Volunteerism: Enhancing Sustainable Food Production Through Ecosystem Restoration Against the Backdrop of Climate Change”.

The project aimed to develop and empower communities particularly youth by offering training and capacity building sessions that allowed participants to gain valuable practical skills to resist climate-change induced challenges that negatively impact food security and economic security. These skills included the establishment of a sustainable food production chain of resilient crops, the integration of traditional farming practices with modern ecological principles, knowledge on permaculture and sustainable land management. 33 participants from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe joined the activity.

Activities included the following:

  1. 7-day intensive training program
  2.  Capacity building
  3. 6 follow-up projects

Key impact and results

The project successfully enhanced participants skills in sustainable farming, permaculture practices and agroecology thus helping them to weather potential climate-change induced challenges in the future and increase food security, reduce poverty, conserve natural resources and biodiversity and contribute to economic empowerment. These knowledge and skills were further spread to the respective communities by the participants. Follow-up projects in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe helped to consolidate the learned knowledge and put it into practice.

The interaction of participants from six different African countries enhanced South-South cooperation, allowed participants to get to know each others culture and values as well as to share and exchange best practices and learn from each other.

The training programme also built strategic teams and enabled self-evaluation which improved effectiveness and efficiency within SCI.

Boost and Revitalize Albanian Volunteering

Organised by Peace Volunteering Network Albania (PVN Albania) with an awarded grant of 5,900€

PVN Albania based in Tirane, Albania organised a 6-month long project called “Boost and Revitalise Albanian Volunteering”.

The project was joined by 344 direct participants and reached more than 20,000 indirect participants.

The project aimed to promote and reactivate volunteering and reverse the trend of declining volunteer numbers in Albania. A volunteer camp coordinator training aimed to increase capacity, dialogue meetings with potential host organisations aimed to strengthen organisation’s interest in hosting volunteer camps and promotion of volunteer camps through open days and community events as well as at schools, universities’, community centers and online aimed to increase awareness of volunteer opportunities and the benefits of volunteering.

The project included the following activities:

  • 2-day volunteer camp coordinator training 
  • 7 workshops at universities, youth and community centres
  • Community events (movie nights, BBQ, volunteering open days, info hubs)
  • Dialogue meetings with organisations, municipalities and community centres
  • Digital campaign (videos, posters, social media)
Key impact and results

The camp coordinator training trained 18 participants on how to organise and promote volunteer camps and how to collaborate with local stakeholders. The volunteering open days, workshops and info hubs reached between 300 and 500 young people and increased their awareness on local and international volunteering opportunities and the benefits of volunteering as well as on SCI and its values. The digital campaign enhanced the outreach to 20 000 people. The dialogue meetings with other organisations encouraged institutional interest in hosting volunteer camps and fostered cooperation between PVN and the potential host organizations.

Peace Building and Environmental Protection Initiative

Organised by Voluntary Workcamps Association of Nigeria (VWAN), with an awarded grant of 5,000€

Voluntary Workcamps Association of Nigeria based in Lagos, Nigeria organised a 6-7 month-long project called “Peace Building and Environmental Protection Initiative”.

The project provided access to structured peace education and environmental education programs with the aim of empowering youth and the community and counteracting the rising trends of bullying and gang activism and poor environmental practice fueling climate change.

The activities were as follows:

  • Peace Building Project: This activity in Sagamu, Ogun State promoted peace education and conflict resolution skills to 20 participants.
  • Environmental Protection and Climate Justice Project: This activity in Eruwa raised awareness on issues like insufficient waste management, a lack of recycling and rising deforestation. To counteract these issues 14 participants engaged in climate action like tree planting and clean-up sessions.

Key impact and results

The activity in Sagamu provided the participants with conflict analysis tools, mediation techniques and practical frameworks to promote nonviolence and peacebuilding on all levels. A community peace rally allowed participants to become peace ambassadors promoting nonviolence and peace to residents and put the newly learned tools into action.

The activity in Eruwa successfully increased awareness on climate change and its interconnectedness with other important issues like indigenous land rights, food sovereignty, gender equality and youth livelihoods. Climate action like tree planting, gardening, permaculture and clean-up sessions were successfully executed.

The activities also fostered active citizenship and community engagement and strengthened volunteerism.

Peace Across the Sea

Organised by International Volunteers for Peace Australia (IVP Australia) with an awarded grant of 5,500€

International Volunteers for Peace Australia based in Goulburn, Australia organised a 6-month long project called “Peace Across the Sea”.

The project aimed to provide 20 participants from Australia and Indonesia with skills in project coordination, conflict management and resolution and leadership through a series of 4 online course sessions. The objective was to enhance the capacity of peace activists and volunteer project coordinators. The participants newly learned skills were subsequently put into practice through the organisation of local actions in Australia and Indonesia.

The activities organised were as follows:

  • 30th of June-28th of July: 4 Online training course sessions
  • September-December 2025: Local actions in Indonesia and Australia
  • 15th of December: Online evaluation meeting showcasing local actions and their achieved results

Key impact and results

The online training course allowed participants to understand the project life cycle, how to design and coordinate value based NFE initiatives, how to manage conflicts using assertiveness and non-violent communication and how to promote SCI’s activities and its peace approach. Participants gained confidence and experience in developing local actions through the organisation and implementation of their own peace activities. The organized activities included the Tallong Apple Day Festival Camp, Kintamani Eco Farming Camp, Green School Project at SMP Al Islam Semarang, Eco-Maggot Mandiri: Organic Waste Management Based on Maggot Bioconversion, Future in Our Hands (Embrace Zero Waste) Workshop 2025 and Youth Present: Fostering a Compassionate Generation, Shaping a Sustainable Future. The actions had a positive and lasting impact on the local community and some achievements could even be felt beyond the borders of the country in which the activity took place. The interactions between Indonesian and Australian participants fostered cross cultural exchange and strengthened the connections between peace activists from the two countries thus increasing the possibility for future cooperation for projects.

Direct beneficiaries

362

VCV Serbia

FEMALE54.8%
MALE45.2%
OTHER0%

33

ZWA Zimbabwe

FEMALE57.6%
MALE42.4%
OTHER0%

324

PVN Albania

FEMALE75.6%
MALE24.4%
OTHER0%

34

VWAN Nigeria

FEMALE44.1%
MALE55.9%
OTHER0%

20

IVP Australia

FEMALE75%
MALE25%
OTHER0%

773

DIRECT BENEFICIARIES

29

ACTIVITIES

EVENTS & TRAININGS53.6%
AWARENESS-RAISING39.3%
DISSEMINATION & COMMUNICATION7.1%