The voluntary ecological year in Germany (abbreviated FÖJ) is an educational and orientation year for teenagers and young adults of ages 16 through 27. The FÖJ can be attended only once and usually lasts 12 months (from 1 September to 31 August of the following year). This service was accepted as an alternative service to military service during the period of conscription until 2011 and universities accept it as a semester on leave.
The service is financed and realized by the federal states and some agencies. The agencies also organize 5 seminars per year which must be attended by the participant. Apart from that, the participants have to be self organized.
Famous quotes containing the words voluntary, ecological and/or year:
“All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than any political organisation. For the latter makes use of violence, the former—of the corruption of the will.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)
“The question that will decide our destiny is not whether we shall expand into space. It is: shall we be one species or a million? A million species will not exhaust the ecological niches that are awaiting the arrival of intelligence.”
—Freeman Dyson (b. 1923)
“Every third year you shall bring out the full tithe of your produce for that year, and store it within your towns; the Levites, because they have no allotment or inheritance with you, as well as the resident aliens, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, may come and eat their fill so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work that you undertake.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 14:28,29.