Background

Volunteering in Israel is many times viewed as obvious and spontaneous and yet it is known that most of the volunteering occurs within civil society organizations, and for it to be effective it must be well organized and managed

The Winograd Commission (2007) established after the Second Lebanon War claimed that the activities of voluntary and charitable organizations from the social sector are crucial to the strengthening of Israeli society…the voluntary organizations are a central and leading factor in meeting the societal needs in times of emergency and also act in fields within the government responsibility…cooperation between the authorities and social organizations is known to be important in everyday life and moreso in times of emergency and it may increase the effectivity and efficiency of these bodies

Following the Winograd Commission’s report and due to the meaningful benefits of volunteering in aiding the civil society during times of distress, the Israeli Volunteering Council  established, operates and oversees the “Israeli Volunteer organization Network”- a network of organizations claiming joint responsibility for a coordinated collective action  for the good of Israeli society in times of emergency

Our solution

The “Israeli Volunteer organization Network” was established during the Covid pandemic as a joint effort with the Home Front Command. The network is a platform for 30 recognized organizations employing 262,000 volunteers working together with 10 governmental ministries, the Home Front Command and local authorities aimed at coordinating social action during times of emergency

Since the pandemic, the network has been active in addressing societal needs during operation Gurdian of the Walls, the tar spill crisis in Israels coast,  caring for Ukrainian war refugees and assisting the Turkish earthquake survivors. The emergency forum meets regularly and takes part in tactical military drills. During emergency times the forum converges within 48 hours for an update and needs assessment

In a wide range emergency state (war, pandemic) the CAC -citizens assistance center (Marsel)  is opened and run by the Home Front Command. The network is the operative body for the CAC, receiving the needs, prioritizing and answering them.  The forum includes representatives of the home front command, prime minister’s office, the ministries of Health, education and social welfare

The forum began its work immediately with the commencement of operation Swords of Steel