National Youth Panel: generations in dialogue to build the path of volunteering

Today, April 21, in Rome, the latest meeting of the National Youth Panel dedicated to civil protection topics concluded. The meeting, hosted at the “Carlo Mosca” facility of the Ministry of the Interior, involved not only 26 volunteer members of the Panel but also 27 “senior” representatives of the National Committee of Civil Protection Volunteers.

The aim of the two-day event - "Experiences and Perspectives of Organized Civil Protection Volunteering" - was to stimulate an intergenerational dialog on some key aspects of organized volunteering, such as growth in associative life and activities in ordinary and emergency situations, fostering the exchange between different perspectives, and valuing the heritage of knowledge and skills within the National Civil Protection System.

During the event, the 53 volunteers took part in moments of dialogue, active listening, in-depth discussion, and collaborative work, aimed at highlighting experiences, critical issues, and proposals. The continuous exchange between junior and senior volunteers represented the central element of the meeting, allowing for the integration of consolidated skills, knowledge, and new approaches.

During the sessions, the volunteers focused on topics that brought out different positions between the two representatives. In particular, the topics that the discussion focused on were: experience and change, trust and control, motivation and sustainability.

"It's not about advancing opposing positions, but about moving forward together toward the same goal." These are the words of the Head of Department, Fabio Ciciliano, who opened the concluding session of the work and listened to the proposals and possible lines of development for the future of civil protection volunteering that emerged over the two days.

The outcomes of the meeting represent another step in the journey of the National Youth Panel, initiated by the Department to bring new generations closer to the world of organized civil protection volunteering and to the activities of the National Civil Protection Service.