The document summarizes the Third Forum of Voluntary Associations event hosted by Istituto Tecnico Commerciale e per Geometri “Enrico Fermi” school in Pontedera, Italy. Approximately 18 non-profit organizations participated in the event to provide information about their humanitarian, social, environmental, and medical activities and promote the value of volunteering. Several of the organizations, including UNITALSI, IL POLIEDRO, AIDO, and FARE AMBIENTE gave presentations and set up booths to explain their goals and causes to students and teachers. The aim of the event was to educate the public on various issues through the work of these voluntary organizations.

1. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
TURKEY - Izmir
Third Comenius
Meeting
21st -25th October 2013
Learning Active
European Citizenship
Voluntary Associations

2. THE THIRD FORUM OF VOLUNTARY
ASSOCIATIONS

3. Our Institute I.T.C.G. “Fermi” hosted the Third
Forum of Voluntary Associations on 4th June
2013 in our schoolyard.
Several non-profit organizations (about 18) in
the humanitarian, social, environmental,
medical and other fields participated in this
event to provide education, information about
their activities and awareness about particular
issues.
One of the aims of this event was to promote
the value of volunteering.

4. 18 Voluntary Organizations took part in the event:
AVO
AUSER
AVIS
FRATRES
ANFFAS
IL GABBIANO
L’ALBA
AIDO
VITE Onlus
FARE AMBIENTE
AVIPP
PUBBLICA ASSISTENZA
UNITALSI
CENTRO DIURNO Pontedera
CONTROLUCE
IL CHICCO DI SENAPE
SAN VINCENZO DE’ PAOLI
AGRICOLTURA SOCIALE

7. Several volunteer teams made presentations,
set up staffs event booths to explain and
show the goals of their work.
They provided the public (mainly students
and teachers) with educational material about
their causes and campaigns, answered
questions and dispelled common myths about
many issues.

9. ECOSAVE JA
This non-profit organisation plans and produces
handicarfts (bibs, aprons and other objects)
using recycled materials.

10. Filiera Corta
Short food supply chain

11. FILIERA CORTA – Short Food Supply Chain
It is a term used to identify a broad range of food
production-distribution-consumption configurations,
such as farmers’ markets, farm shops, collective
farmers’ shops, Community supported agriculture,
solidarity purchase groups. A food supply chain can
be defined ‘short’ when it is characterized by short
distance and/or small number of intermediaries
between producers and consumers.

15. Una strada per la vita – Camminando sulle ruote
(A road for life – Riding on wheels)
A simple recipe: a sidewalk made of wood, a wheelchair for
disabled people and five minutes to live a particular
experience.
Students are invited to ride on a wheelchair to face physical
barriers in order to overcome cultural and social barriers.
Those without disabilities have the opportunity to see the
world through disabled people’s eyes and to gain a better
understanding of the issues that affect people with special
needs.

18. Pubblica Assistenza e Misericordia
These associations are organized on a volontary basis.
Their activities include: road rescue service, patient and
disabled people transport, first aid education and
training of the public.
They also provide treatment of an unconscious
casualty, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, getting to
know and operating the AED (Automated External
Defibrillation).

22. UNITALSI
It is a non-profit association which was
founded in Rome in 1903, to transport sick
and disabled people to Lourdes (France)
and the Holy House of Loreto (Italy).
It is a voluntary organisation based on
Christian values and principles.
It also helps older adults and sick people
daily.

25. IL POLIEDRO

26. IL POLIEDRO
The Poliedro Centre is a non-profit organisation in
Pontedera.
It provides adults, disabled people with social activities,
recreations, education, creative arts, craft workshops,
physical health programs and other laboratories and
workshops.
The Poliedro centre is linked to the local realities and
needs.
Their projects encourage independence, promote
responsibility, develop competences and build lifelong
friendships in a warm supportive atmosphere.

28. AIDO – Associazione Italiana
Donatori Organi e Tessuti e
Cellule

29. AIDO
Associazione Italiana Donatori Organi
It is an association for liver, kidney, pancreas and
organ tissue transplant. It strives to eliminate our
country’s shortage of human transplant organs.
Volunteers help the non-profit organisation to raise
awareness about organ donation. They include
transplant recipients, patients, donor family members
and friends, all of whom are dedicated to educating the
community about organ tissue donation and
transplantation.

32. FARE AMBIENTE
This non-profit association believes that it is
not our choice but our responsibility to protect
and preserve the environment for the next
generation.
This organizartion is engaged in conducting
various activities to increase public awareness
on environmental protection.
Everybody should become an active caretaker
of the environment.

35. «I think it’s given me a greater
opportunity to define who I am, to
expand the way I view things, to see
the world through other people’s
eyes, and to incorporate my
experience into the way I think, live
and feel».
( A volunteer’s words about her experience on volunteering)

36. Istituto Tecnico Commerciale e per
Geometri “Enrico Fermi” –
Pontedera (Pisa)
Classes IV ASI and V CG
Pontedera, September 2013