The role of voluntary associations in healthcare politics

: In the recent years an increasing interest has been observed on volunteering; among social scientist, politicians, and economists. A different approach to the management of volunteering has been observed both in the political and social set. Furthermore a remarkable development of the phenomenon is present worldwide as within Italy. The contribute to social development, universally attributed to the volunteer action has been acknowledged by the General Assembly of United Nations that declared the 2001 The International Years of Volunteering. Different aims was attributed to this event: the promotion of volunteer action, as expression of cohesiveness and democratic participation of civic society progress; stimulate the improvement of the volunteering status and role; increasing facilities to the activities realization; facilitate the communication opportunities among volunteers, associations and governments. Nevertheless, the phenomenon relevance has to be viewed in social, cultural, political and economical changes taking place in the last years and still in action in the country that on the one hand have produced new needs and an increasing socio-assistance demand and the other hand the needs of changing the responding traditional style and way from Institutions. The major aims of this paper consist in the analysis of motivation and relevance of socio-sanitary role of volunteer in contemporary society.