Volunteering is a freely chosen activity for the benefit of others, performed without a claim to reward. Citizens of developed countries are involved in volunteering everyday and volunteering has a long tradition. A volunteer (lat. voluntarius – willing, well-disposed; volunteer in Slovak – dobrovoľník) has many characteristics but we can say in general that he/she is someone who offers energy, knowledge, skills, and abilities to an organization on agreed terms and is not paid for these activities.

The UN General Assembly set in 1985 December 5 as the International Volunteer Day with the aim to highlight the role of volunteers and volunteer communities and organizations. This day is now recognized by more than half of the countries from around the world. The year 2001 was set as the International Year of volunteers by the UN General Assembly resolution from November 20 1997. This resolution was an encouragement for 123 countries from all around the world including Slovakia, as well. As a main coordinator for the activities under International Volunteer Day was determined The United Nations Volunteers organization (UNV). The Universal Declaration of Volunteering was adopted by International Association of Volunteer Effort (IAVE), at the 11th International Conference in Paris in 1990. IAVE is the only organization focusing exclusively on propagation, celebration and empowering of volunteering as such around the world. Moreover, it covers a network of organizations and individuals in more than 100 countries.

In accordance with the Universal Declaration of Volunteering volunteering is:

• based on personal motivation and individual decision
• a form of support of active civil participation and interest in development of a community
• has form of a group of activities carried out mostly within specific organizations
• improves human potential and quality of daily life, encourages solidarity
• provides a response on important social challenges and contributes to creating a better and more peaceful world
• contributes to the viability of economic life and work, encourages new professions

It is possible to be a volunteer almost anywhere, we canalways help people right around us. For example, we can do the shopping for an ill neighbor, or remove rubbish off the streets or in a park. Every one of us has the ability and the energy to do some voluntary activity. It depends on us, whether we want to do something. Since1989, it has become more and more common to offer time and energy to the service in an NGO, civil society associations, non-profit organizations, schools or churches.

Therefore, we can divide volunteering into three categories:

• volunteer activities: various irregular activities for different organizations on the basis of the oral agreement
• voluntary service: formalized activity with clear time range, aim, content, tasks, structure and organizational framework, personal support, legislature and social protection based on oral or written agreement
• voluntary help: mutual help among neighbors, groups of children, youth and interest groups that is based on mutual agreement outside of an organization

Young people are one of the most important and valuable resources. They have the drive and the will to face new challenges, the enthusiasm to learn new skills and acquire new abilities, and the commitment to build new alliances and communities. They contribute positively to the lives of others, and young volunteers themselves gain valuable experience and develop new skills in the course of the activities they carry out. In this survey the term “volunteering” is employed as a summary of various ways and approaches used by young people in their voluntary involvement in various communities on a local, national, and international level.

Voluntary organizations are groups that are dealing with the organization of volunteer activities and cannot imagine their action without volunteers. These organizations are engaged in various spheres of volunteering, in accordance to target groups: for example social, cultural, ecological sphere etc. According to the region we can find volunteer programs held on local, regional, national and international level. Focusing on the time period of volunteering activity we distinguish single, regular, longtime or random activities. On the basis of its target group and area of work voluntary organizations create the conditions and rules for working with volunteers so volunteers are organized or managed.