Report on the Frame[v]work project – American Lab

The Frame[v]work project realised the American Lab, its 3rd regional meeting, which took place in Puntarenas, Costa Rica between 28th June and 5th July.

31 participants were present from the networks (CCIVS, SCI, Alliance, ICYE and NVDA) and from American organisations from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and USA. SCI was represented by Alexandra Vasileiou, president, and Peter Stanton, SCI USA coordinator along with Sandra Shilling, LT Volunteer coordinator.

It was an opportunity to present IVS history, vision, activities and methods to organisations from the Americas. Some organisations were not members of the IVS movement, therefore it was interesting to exchange information and to propose the IVS approach to local and international volunteering and to create new partnerships in the region.
The main aim of the Frame[v]work project is to update the volunteer exchange procedures among the IVS networks, according to the regional needs, and to improve the cooperation and the quality of their projects.

The American Lab focused on two main dimensions:

1. to continue the work started in the European and Asian Labs, namely strengthening the IVS identity and improving the volunteer exchange procedures and the quality of projects by developing common measures to be adopted by the IVS networks and
2. to promote networking and create spaces for future cooperation among partners, learning more about social transformation, involvement of the local communities and synergy actions implemented by the American organisations.

The highlight of the meeting was the discussions, agreement and finally signing of a draft agreement for the creation of the IVS regional network of the American organisations.

Group picture after the signing of the draft for the creation of the American regional network.

Alexandra presented the SCI network and explained how we work in the plenary. She also gave out SCI info material to the host org ACI, Costa Rica and to all other orgs present.

It was a good opportunity for SCI USA branch coordinator, Peter and the LTV placement officer, Sandra, to both attend the working groups that were relevant to their work such as volunteer exchange procedures, quality of projects, IVS networking in the Americas and to exchange good practices. We also had many talks together on the current and future plans of their branch.

Juliana partner from Equador, Percy partner from Peru, Alexandra SCI President, Saron & Alberto from Mexico

Alexandra also connected and had talks with our Latin American SCI partners from:

• Ecuador, FUNPROC (Fundacion Proyecto Ecologico Chiriboga) represented by Juliana Vaca Muses
• VIVE Mexico, represented by Alberto Garcia Garcia and Sharon Pena Munoz
• BVBP Peru, represented by Percy Harold Munoz Jaime and
• NICE Japan, represented by Kaizawa Shinichiro.

Other Latin American organisations which expressed their interest in exploring partnership procedures with SCI (for which there will be a follow up from IEC) are:

• We Collab from Colombia
• ACHNU from Chile
• El Abrojo from Uruguay and
• FUNSALPRODESE from El Salvador

In conclusion, it was a very good networking experience with all other representatives from the different networks and Latin American organisations and it was a good opportunity to make SCI visible in the IVS world in the Americas.