Evangelische Freiwilligendienste Diakonie Hessen

Presently the program offers counseling for Conscientious Objectors/War Resisters, pedagogical and pastoral guidance for participants in the compulsory Civil Service as a substitute for military service, Social and Ecological Voluntary Services (FSJ/FÖJ) and the Federal Voluntary Services (BFD) to be installed in summer 2011, both regulated by Federal Law.

International Activities:
Sending: As a substitute for the military service, approved Conscientious Objectors have been entitled since 1984 to do International Voluntary Service called “Alternative Services Abroad”. Since 2007 ZFFZ is a registered sending organization for International Social Voluntary Services, was approved in 2008 for the development education program “weltwärts” (worldwards) and for the European Voluntary Services (EVS) as from 2010.

Hosting: Since 1998 we host young adults from abroad for social, diaconal and cultural projects in the regions of our Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck facilitated by the program lines of FSJ and EFD. We are approved as cooperating hosting organisation in EVS. We cooperate with different partner organisations in Europe, mainly within the Evangelical Diaconal Year Network (EDYN). In August 2010 we combined sending and hosting into one program unit. This intensifies our networking with partner organizations towards an exchange of volunteers and gives way to a more profound intercultural learning opportunity for young women and men.

ZFFZ offers a variety of services, both for partner organisations and young adult applicants. Our experience is a solid basis for further extension of our professionally prepared, accompanied and reflected voluntary services.

We are willing to cooperate with partners from different backgrounds in order to develop, expand and consolidate our program. We are on the lookout for new partners, whether experienced in voluntary services or simply willing to enter into a new field of engagement.

For 2012 we are in the process of planning a joint conference with partners from Germany and abroad to exchange our expectations towards voluntary services and their opportunities, our common interests and expertise. Furthermore we want to evaluate the ongoing working contacts in hosting and sending and last but not least we want to make the contacts visible by meeting the people concerned. This gives us a new basis for cooperation in future.

During their time as volunteers young women and men enjoy a unique opportunity for experience in international, social, ecological and intercultural learning and practice. All partner organizations benefit from the enthusiasm, motivation and willingness to get involved into a new field of professional work. Dynamic and refreshing as young people are they promote creative inputs, challenge our institutions and initiate changes which benefit all concerned.