Press Release: Volunteer! Make a Difference: European Commission launches the European Year of Volunteering 2011

"If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever," Kofi Annan said. It is in this spirit that 100 million Europeans dedicate their time and expertise to help those in need and give back to their communities: A retired art teacher gives lectures on European masterpieces to foreign visitors at a museum. A high school student reads to sick children at a hospital. A former national football player coaches at a neighbourhood club. There are thousands of ways people make a difference. To highlight these efforts and encourage more citizens to join in, the European Commission today kicked off the 2011 European Year of Volunteering. Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, joined by Jean-Marc Delizée, Belgium's federal Secretary of State for Social Affairs, and European Parliament Member Marian Harkin, presented the year’s slogan: "Volunteer! Make a difference."