2. On 11 August 1994
the four historic Samaritan organisations
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Germany (1888)
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Austria (1927)
• ASF-Dansk Folkehjaelp, Denmark (1906) and
• Secouristes Français-Croix Blanche, France (1892)
merged to become SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL
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3. The organisation has now been extended by the organisations:
• Asociácia Samritánov Slovenskej Republiky, Slowakei
• Asociace Samaritànú Ceské Republiky, Tschechien
• Országos Szamaritánus Társaság Szövetsége, Ungarn
• Latvijas Samariesu apvieniba, Lettland
• Lietuvos Samarieciu Bendrija, Litauen
• Weißes Kreuz Südtirol, Italien
• Samarytanska Federacja Organizacja Pozarzadowych, Polen
• Samariter-Bund der Ukraine Kreisverband Kiew e.V.
• Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze, Italien
Far more than
– three million supporting members,
– around 130.000 volunteers and
– more than 30.000 full-time employees
form the basis of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL and the network in the
thirteen organisations and countries.
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4. What was the motivation for the foundation
of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL?
Since the 1930‘s there didn‘t exist a European Samaritan federation
anymore and the historic Samaritan organisations existed on a national
level only.
There didn‘t exist a European federation
• of non-governmental organisations
• that are independent from political parties and churches
• and that are working in the areas of first-aid training, rescue service and
civil protection.
Due to several new foundations in the course of the processes of change
in the societies of the Central and Eastern European countries the need
arose to find an organisational level on which old and new Samaritan
organisations can meet on the same basis and cooperate.
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5. What unites the members of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL?
All member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL
• are working in at least one of the areas first-aid training, rescue service
and civil protection,
• are independent from political parties and churches,
• are non-government organisations,
• have a democratic internal structure,
• fulfill their tasks by the involvement of volunteers,
• aim at social relevance and the creation of a self-financing basis (in
addition to remunerations) by the acquisition of the greatest possible
number of supporting members,
• have a full-time leadership and honorary supervisory and leading bodies,
• are characterised by the control of the leadership by the members and
• regard themselves as an outgrowth of the historical Samaritan movement.
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6. Guiding principles of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL I.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is
• an international federation
• of non-governmental organisations
• that are independent from political parties and churches,
• oriented towards the public welfare
• and not aiming for profit
• that are working in the areas of first aid in cases of emergencies
and diseases and aid in social distress
• with democratic participation of a large number of citizens
as members, volunteers and supporters
• and that regard themselves as an outgrowth of the historical
Samaritan movement.
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7. Guiding principles of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL II.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is committed
• to expanding a network of European aid systems ranging from
• emergency first-aid services to emergency aid in response to disasters
• on the basis of common minimum standards at the local, regional,
national and European level,
• while allowing for flexibility at the regional level
• involving the participation of non-governmental organisations.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL regards
• first-aid training, emergency rescue and transport services for the ill
as inseparable components of a networked aid system
• which cannot be viewed from the standpoint of competitive aspects
alone if the efficiency of the system as a whole is to be improved.
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8. Guiding principles of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL III.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL is committed
• to the involvement of non-governmental organisations formed through
local and regional popular initiative in emergency rescue operations and
transport services for the ill
• as a prerequisite for attractive, efficient, self-determined participation of
volunteers in the field of disaster aid.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL
• sees the involvement of volunteers as a basic prerequisite for a
functioning aid system,
• promotes the establishment of appropriate framework conditions
for the voluntary work and supports the international exchange of
volunteers.
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9. Guiding principles of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL IV.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL fosters mutual understanding among
all European aid systems through
• publications,
• expert meetings,
• conferences and
• exchange programs among the member associations.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL sees first-aid training for the general
Public as a basic prerequisite for self-help in everyday and extraordinary
emergency situations.
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10. Guiding principles of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL V.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL promotes
• mutual projects devoted to humanitarian aid abroad and
• the coordination of SAMARITAN projects in the crisis areas.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL contributes
to the development of a European civil society by fostering the growth of
politically neutral, non-sectarian, non-governmental organisations in
Central and Eastern Europe.
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL considers itself
• in matters relating to the development and implementation of
European standards for emergency medical care, volunteer work
and humanitarian aid abroad
• a mediator between European institutions and its member
associations.
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11. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? I.
Every four years organisation of a European specialized
conference under the name „SAMARITAN Forum“
on the topics
• first-aid training,
• rescue service,
• civil protection,
• humanitarian aid abraod,
• voluntary work,
• fundraising
with many continuing education offers
at different places in Europe
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12. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? II.
The General Secretariat of SAMARITAN
INTERNATIONAL publishes approx. on a quarterly
basis the newsletter SAMARITAN direct in all
languages of its member organisations and in
English. The newsletter is sent on demand by post
or by e-mail to the personal address of active
members of the member organisations of
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL.
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13. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? III.
You will find a lot of background
information about
• SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL,
• its member organisations,
• their areas of activity,
• European institutions
and
• latest news from the „Samaritan
world“
in German and English
under www.samaritan.info
Additionally, the e-mail newsletter SAMARITAN news appears every four weeks.
It also refers in German and English to new information on the website.
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14. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? IV.
The working group EC First Aid which is reponsable
for cooperation in first-aid training has developed
standardised requirements for training contents and
trainers under the name European First Aid Certificate
• for the purpose of mutual recognition of the
training course certificates and
• for the improvement of mutual understanding
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15. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? V.
In the field of humanitarian aid abroad some member organisations merged
to become the working group Assistance in Disaster (SAMARITAN AID) .
The aims are
• the development of a joint alert and information
mechanism for emergency aid,
• by involvement of qualified and trained
volunteers,
• organisation of joint trainings
• coordination of projects of the member
organisations in crisis areas and
• common use of projects in foreign countries for
public relations in the home countries.
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16. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? VI.
Partnerships of regional Samaritan organisations in Europe enable
cross-border social engagement.
In a partnership activities can cover the mutual exchange of experiences
to the joint execution of very concrete humanitarian and social projects.
The exchange of experiences on the level of the local operational groups
opens up new perspectives for both sides and is in line with the basic aims
of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL to give people in distress – without
consideration for political borders - help to self-help.
In order to promote this SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL has developed a
partner program. Its core is the structured inquiry of interests on the
SAMARITAN website and the publication of requests in the
SAMARITAN media.
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17. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? VII.
The medical service market also enables the exchange amongst
Employees and volunteers of the member organisations. Its aim is
to promote mutual Cross-border support of local Samaritan associations
at large events.
In future short work shadowings up to
two weeks will be offered in the rescue
service of another member organisation
for volunteers and employees.
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18. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? VIII.
For the exchange of volunteers a regular
exchange program was agreed amongst
the different member organisations.
On the basis of the conjointly developed
Guiding principles for voluntary work
of the member organisations of
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL
volunteers will be deployed in this
program in different institutions and
services of the other member
organisation for at least six month.
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19. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? IX.
The following projects are still in their early stages:
Youth work
A working group Youth International is existing for several years,
that just recently made it its business
• to foster the exchange via the training of youth leaders and
• to participate every two years in the organisation of an international first-
aid youth contest entitled SAMARITAN Contest.
Voluntary work
A working group is planned that works on
• the exchange of knowledge and experience for
the acquisition and support of volunteers and
• the preparation of exchange programs of volunteers
amongst the member organsiations of
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL.
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20. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? X.
The following project is also in its early stages:
Rescue service and Civil protection
A short presentation of national rescue service and civil protection
systems of the countries in which the member organisations of
SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL are located is widely carried out on the
SAMARITAN website. In addition, a working group shall be set up whose
task shall be amongst others:
• development of forms of cooperating
• amongst the member organisations
in the Community Civil Protection
Mechanism of the EU
• terminological work on the national
terms of this special field
• definition of standards for mutual
short internships and work shadowings
respectively
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21. What does SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL do
to foster mutual understanding? XI.
The European Union has many different influences on the activities of the
member organisations. This ranges from
• the provision of subsidies to
• the European competition regulations that have impact on the status
of non-profit organisations to
• the mechanisms of cross-border disaster relief.
Therefore it is necessary
• to observe the latest European legal
developments
• to be informed about the functioning
of the European institutions in order to
exert influence for people entrusted in our care.
For this purpose, the General Secretariat uses ist media, particularly the
SAMARITAN website and the SAMARITAN news.
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22. Organisational Structure I.
Associated Full members Extraordinary Accredited
members members members
appoint members entitled to
appoint a guest vote depending on the may appoint a member appoint a member without a vote
member without a vote number of members without a vote
Advisory committee
(General meeting)
votes
Presidium appoints
Secretary general
reports
1 President + 6 Vice-presidents
gives job Develop suggestions for common rules and projects
Working group Working group Working group Working group(s)
EC First Aid Assistance in Disaster Youth International ...
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23. Organisatorische Struktur II.
‚Accredited Samaritan organisations‘ are registrated associations working
for less than five years as non-governmental organisations
(= membership on probation).
‚Associated members‘ are organisations declaring their support for
individual objectives of Samaritan International on international level.
‚Full members‘ unite all Samaritan organisations oriented towards the
aim of the association as national Samaritan organisation and dispose of a
membership of more than 3.000 natural persons
(= full members with voting right in the advisory committee depending on
the number of members).
‚Extraordinary members‘ unite all Samaritan organizations in the country
dedicated to the objectives of the association as a national Samaritan
organization and don‘t dispose of a membership of more than 3.000 natural
persons (= membership without voting right in the advisory committee).
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24. Organisatorische Struktur III.
In order to improve the cooperation in the SAMARITAN boards and working
groups and amongst the contributing employees and volunteers a password
protected area in the SAMARITAN website has been set up for these users,
the so-called SAMARITAN Intern.
There are all documents and
specialized information available
that are or has been discussed
and developed in the boards and
working groups
(e.g. agendas, minutes, concepts, standards),
that are made available to the member organisations by the general
secretarial office (e.g. on European support programs, decisions of the European
Court of Justice, regulations),
that are made available by the respective member organisations
(e.g. manuals, quality standards and position reports on projects in foreign countries)
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25. Thank you for your attention!