Experiences and accomplishments of the "Fekete Sereg" Youth Association in international volunteer-coordination

Dávid Szokolay

Abstract

The "Fekete Sereg" Youth Association was founded in 1997 in Nagyvázsony with the aim to provide support to disadvantaged local youth by offering volunteer opportunities for meaningful engagement. Over its twenty-six years of operation, the association has undergone significant organizational development, enabling them to offer increasingly diverse programs to the volunteers they engage. In 2006, a pivotal year in its history, the "Fekete Sereg" Youth Association began hosting international volunteers and sending Hungarian volunteers abroad. Over the years, this nonprofit organization has achieved notable success in the field of international volunteer-coordination. As a result, they received an invitation to provide mentoring for international volunteers as part of the 2023 Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture program. In this study, I first summarize the organizational history of the "Fekete Sereg" Youth Association spanning over a quarter of a century. Subsequently, I present their significant achievements in the field of international volunteer coordination. I separately discuss the development of hosting foreign volunteers and sending local volunteers abroad. In the former case, I also elaborate on the types of programs they have provided over the years. Finally, I describe their participation in the 2023 Veszprém-Budapest European Capital of Culture program. This paper may serve as a valuable resource for numerous Hungarian nonprofit organizations working with disadvantaged youth and engaging in international volunteer-coordination.

Keywords: international volunteering, volunteer tourism, Fekete Sereg Youth Association, Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture 2023, long-term volunteering, short-term volunteering, group volunteering