“Our society needs volunteering – it also thrives on volunteering. Civil society tells us: yes, we live in a living and sustainable democracy. What committed citizens bring in, volunteering, is not a nice plus, it is an indispensable part of our civic culture.”
Federal President Dr. h. c. Joachim Gauck, in the speech on the awarding of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Day of Volunteering on 03.12.2012 at Bellevue Palace, Berlin.
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