European Solidarity Corps

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is an activity funded by the Erasmus + Program of the European Commission that allows young people aged 18 to 30 to carry out a voluntary period of 2 to 12 months (with some exceptions) in a European country, for acquire skills within a non-profit organization, learn the language of the destination country, learn to work in a group in different cultural contexts.

Our ex-volunteers

Alejandra - Spain

Alejandra - Spain

A beautiful experience that made me grow at the workplace and mostly personally. An opportunity to learn to value all the good things around us and try to improve what you don’t like.

Vaiva - Lithuania

Vaiva - Lituania

I had an honor to join Casa Per La Pace team for one year, contributing to their projects in various ways: through photography and communication, library and event management, becoming a full member of local community in educational, social, artistic, politic backgrounds. Prepare to embrace and enjoy Italian language, culture and lifestyle to the maximum. It’s an experience that shakes a little the inner ‘old’ you and only to the better – in improving as a better human being, a better world citizen.

Ana - Portugal

Ana - Portugal

The time I spent at Casa per la pace was a splendid experience. Living with community, learning to share, listening to each other, learning a new language, meeting people and cultures from around the world. It was bonding and living outside the comfort zone. 365 days of different emotions and day by day acquire new knowledge and experience. Casa per la pace is not just a space but a family. Thanks for everything

Berta - Spain

Berta - Spain

It was a great opportunity to be welcomed into a particular group of people, projects, ideas, actions, a lot of work done (and still a lot to do), lunches, smiles and complicity. It was the individual and collective opportunity of (re-) signifying daily practices, becoming aware of them and being able to transform them into active nonviolence policy choices. ”

Milica - Serbia

Milica - Serbia

For me it was an experience that enriches life in all ways. I learned so much from beautiful people in a year of non-violence or critical consumption.The various projects and friendships that I found there helped me to become more aware of others and self conscious of myself. I managed the Library and coordinated the Italian school for foreigners. It inspired me a lot the exhibition “The others are us” and the educational game about immigration “The borders’ game”. Thanks to the inspiration and energy of Casa Pace, a more fair world is reachable.

Philippe - Germany

Philippe - Germany

The experience I gain through my EVS in Casa per la Pace was absolutely fascinating! I learned so many new things at Casa per la Pace and can only support the Idea of doing your EVS there.

Tony - Germany

Tony - Germany

Casa per la Pace is an association with a thousand faces, but in my opinion, the most beautiful faces were those of the students of the Italian School or of the children who I led in the exhibition about prejudices.

Elisabeth - France

Elisabeth - France

After studying law and economics, I decided to see something else. Thanks to Casa per la Pace I discovered a different way to see, move and understand the world. There, I was passionately involved in the newsletter and the dissemination of events.

Iranzu - Spain

Iranzu - Spain

EVS with Casa per la Pace made me realize that nonviolence is a lifestyle, due to every single choice we make every day. Now i encourage everyone to re-think about the world we live.

Yura - Ukraine

Yura - Ukraine

I come from the west of Ukraine (Lviv). As an IT developer, I helped renew this website. You like? My EVS year was great, also because I had the chance to travel all over Europe with my visa / residence permit.

Kseniya - Russia

Kseniya - Russia

I graduated in World history but I discovered other passions including traveling, volunteering and studying languages, and I decided to do EVS because it includes everything. In Casa per la Pace i did babysitting during the Italian school for foreign women, self-production and other manual work and the dissemination of events (the Newsletter, spam).

Gonzalo - Spain

Gonzalo - Spain

I knew italian very well, and that helped a lot for integration. My duties were: co-management of the Italian school for foreigners, coordinate the library and participate in different types of training about non-violence.

Lucy - Ukraine

Lucy - Ukraine

I helped in the schools trainings and the exhibition “We are the others” guiding the children through an interactive path, explaining the prejudices and discrimination in a simple and non-formal way. It has always been a challenge, because my Italian was not good and I didn’t know much about the subject. But I had so much fun with the children and I always had colleagues to help me. A couple of times I helped in the self-financing dinners, very funny, where together with other volunteers, I cooked and served, spending a nice time together. The entertainment program for guests has always been top: quizzes, ethnic dances, bands or just guitar to sing together. Thanks to all the staff of the House for Peace! It was a great pleasure to meet you all and learn a lot of new things with your help.

Rachel - the UK

Rachel - the UK

I had a great time as a volunteer at Casa per la Pace and I really enjoyed living in Italy. EVS gave me the opportunity to experience lots of new and exciting things, broaden my horizons and learn many new skills. Casa per la Pace was very welcoming and I met some fantastic people from all over the world. It was a great experience that you recommend to all young people!

Bartek - Poland

Bartek - Poland

I will always remember being a volunteer at Casa per la Pace as an extraordinary experience. He taught me to focus on the things I don’t normally think of, that is, how to make the world a little better and be a more aware person. I advise you to do EVS to all those who are adventurous and enjoy working and having fun with others.

Rebone - South Africa

Rebone - South Africa

Casa per la Pace is a place that can be called “home”, where inner peace can be found. I’m glad I was part of a beautiful Association like this. I did many different things, from painting to singing, organizing events and much more … and at lunchtime, we all ate together as one big family. I learned a lot about what is really happening in Palestine, through the classes or workshops. The organization has great strength because the people involved work with passion, where one is automatically motivated through shared positive energy. Being with them has transformed me positively. As a person of another culture and tradition, I sometimes had difficulty understanding the tasks to do, but thanks to the patience of my mentors, I finally understood them without any difficulty.

Agnieszka - Poland

Agnieszka - Poland

Casa per la Pace has proven to be a group of people who really want to change the world. I felt welcomed and in very good professional hands. 12 months have flown by and I learned how an NGO is managed and how a single person can take care of the environment around. This has been an adventure that has influenced my way of looking at people, the environment and the global problems of our times. Casa per la Pace offered me support and freedom to better decide what I want to dedicate to myself. This organization is a model for all those who run a non-profit organization. Now – a few years after my volunteering, I am continually applying the wisdom I learned in everyday life. Thank you so much and I wish you all the best, you are really wonderful people!

Michasia - Poland

Michasia - Poland

Before leaving for Italy to do this experience, I had so many doubts about the activities that awaited me, the people I had to work with, a new country, which intrigued me but at the same time was unknown to me. All doubts were dispelled upon my arrival in Milan. I found myself in a beautiful reality full of people who immediately welcomed me with open arms. Casa per la Pace allowed me to learn about different ways of doing PEACE and promoting NONVIOLENCE, and it made me aware of others. I began to appreciate different points of view, cultures and customs, which made me notice the beautiful differences that make up the world of today. Before arriving in Italy I thought I was a person with an open mind but only my collaboration with Casa per la Pace made me re-evaluate my principles. First of all, I realized that everything that happens in the world depends on me, that every step I take and every decision I make can have value and can initiate some changes. It also allowed me to realize all the things I can offer to others and the person I would like to be in life.

Markéta - Czech Republic

Markéta - Czech Republic

This EVS experience has been truly enriching for me in so many ways. First of all, I had the opportunity to experiment with different ways of managing an organization, based not on a hierarchical model, but rather a family one, respecting all the people involved in the organization, including volunteers of all ages. This always made me feel like I was in a family rather than a job. Then, I had the opportunity to learn many new skills related to the nonviolent, multicultural and ecological field, which are useful for my everyday life and my profession as a social worker. And in the end I had the chance to learn to think differently about the world and the things that are happening around me, to have my eyes and my heart more open and not to be indifferent to all this, which made me to be more tolerant of others and more active in what is happening in society and around me. I am very happy and grateful for this experience and would recommend it to anyone interested in these topics.

Hale - Turkey

Hale - Turkey

When i think of Casa per la Pace, I have the image of the flag of peace and all that it symbolizes. In one year, I did lots of great projects: each of them was like a color on that flag, all different and fun with one goal: PEACE! Being part of CasaPace has given me an enormous opportunity to learn the Italian language and live in Milan without problems. I will never forget the hospitality of Antonio and Grazia! Pier Giorgio taught us how to be aware of the beauty of the small details, apparently negligible around us. I am so grateful to all the wonderful people at Casa per la Pace; thanks to them I changed myself and learned how my personal progress is important. Now I look at others with greater tolerance. This experience added, not only the new dimensions in my perspective and values, but also new colors to my personality.

Anete - Latvia

Anete - Latvia

I did many beautiful things: participate in the exhibition “The others are us”, babysitting children during the Italian school for foreign women, and participate in the Theater of the Oppressed. Furthermore, I was very happy to create “WORLD’S MOVIE NIGHT” and take on the office. But above all I am very proud of participating in the public water referendum. Casa per la Pace is a life-changing place. At least it is for me. Many of my goals and values have changed thanks to the great people who work at Casa per la Pace. A big THANK YOU to them, and a very special one thanks to the greatest, incredibly intelligent and amusing Italian soul that has ever met Pier Giorgio Mora. You will always be in my heart!

Ali - Turkey

Ali - Turkey

My experience with EVS started with a phone call from my brother asking me to apply for a project in Milan. Until that moment I knew nothing about EVS. But it was one of the best things I did in my life. I always lived with my parents until age 23 and I hadn’t left home for more than 10 days. With them, I learned so many things that I will need for the rest of my life again: a new language, how to live alone, made Theater of the Oppressed, the Show against prejudices (which was a beautiful thing), tours of the city, sessions against violence and many other things that have helped me so much to be a more social person who tries to see things with so many different sides not with prejudices. Last but not the least! I met some beautiful people! Thank you all! (Jitka, Matteo, Margo, Anna, Barbara, Piergiorgio, Michele, Sergio, Mercedes). I especially wish to thank the two wonderful couples: Antonio and Grazia / Piergiorgio and Grazia. RIP Piergiorgio and Grazia.

Jitka - Czech Republic

Jitka - Czech Republic

When I think, what were the 9 months of EVS in Italy and what I brought with me as inspiration, is certainly the experience of running an NGO organization following Gandhi’s principles, especially that good means are important to get good results. So we worked on us in “Pensatoio” to manage conflicts between us to provide quality non-violent communication training in schools. The culture shock: 1) I learned at Casa Pace, that I can influence things in society even at the legislative level, I just need to dare to try. 2) The wonderful Italian sense of simplicity, which makes things beautiful and joyful. Although it is said that Milan is not the largest of the Italian cities, I liked it, partly also for my local friends, who taught me Italian folk dances and danced in the streets.