FROM THE EDITOR

Where Did E-IAVE Go?

First, I need to apologize to all IAVE members for the absence of E-IAVE over the last several months.  It is totally my responsibility.

Second, I want to explain what happened.  The easy answer is that I simply had too much work to fit into too little time and I could not keep up with E-IAVE.

As many of you know, I run my own consulting business – strategic planning for nonprofit organizations; projects related to promotion and support of volunteering; corporate community involvement; project management; international exchange, etc.  Between January 1 and June 30, I was overwhelmed with client work – good for my business; not so good for my life management.

The less easy, and more interesting, answer is that I also became a very busy volunteer.  In March, I became chair of the board of an organization called Capitol Hill Group Ministry, a faith-based human service organization in my neighborhood that works with homeless and at risk families.  Then, in April, I was called to become Senior Warden (roughly, chair of the board) of my church, St. Mark’s Episcopal.

Together, the two have been taking huge amounts of my time as I learned the jobs, got both organized and began to set their agendas for the next two years.

But it has been a fascinating experience for me to move into two very demanding, totally volunteer leadership roles in my local community.  In fact, I hope that in coming months I can share some of what I am learning (or re-learning) with you.

Third, I need to make a commitment to you that I can keep.  It is this: by the 10th of every month, you will have E-IAVE in your email box.  No late arrivals; no excuses.

So…apology, explanation, commitment.  From you – understanding, forgiveness?
Thanks!

Kenn Allen

NEWS FROM IAVE

IYV+10…the countdown continues

ONLY 16 MONTHS TO GO!  2011 is the 10th Anniversary of the United Nation’s International Year of Volunteers in 2001.  As it did in 2001, IAVE is preparing to give leadership to the nongovernmental volunteer community in celebrating this global recognition of volunteering.

Our work has already begun.  In Singapore, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre is hard at work, in partnership with the Government of Singapore and its nonprofit and corporate partners, preparing to host the IAVE World Volunteer Conference in January 2011.

Now, as the following article reflects, we are laying the groundwork for the World Youth Volunteer Summit, scheduled for the last quarter of 2011, mirroring our schedule in 2001.  And, we are even looking forward to 2012 when the World Volunteer Conference will return to its regular even-numbered-years schedule.

World Youth Volunteer Summit 2011 – Request for Proposals

The IAVE board of directors is seeking a host organization for the World Youth Volunteer Summit to be held in the last quarter of 2011 or the first quarter of 2012.

The Summit is a time when young people involved in volunteering can meet to celebrate and to share their knowledge and experiences.  A successful Summit will attract distinguished international speakers, expert workshop and forum leaders and presenters and leaders from the worlds of volunteering, NGOs, research, governments and the corporate sector.

Convening the IAVE World Youth Volunteer Summit brings status and worldwide recognition to the host country. It creates a real boost for volunteering in the host country, and can bring significant economic benefit.

Complete details on expectations and the application process can be found at http://www.iave.org/NewsView.asp?newsID=273.

All bids must be returned to IAVE board member Mark Molloy by Monday, October 5, 2011.

For more information, please contact Mark directly at mark.molloy@dumgal.gov.uk or by phone at 44 1387 260240 or 44 7761944688 in the UK.

Update on the 12th IAVE Asia-Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference

The 12th IAVE Asia Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference, hosted by IAVE, IAVE Taiwan and the Kaohsiung City Volunteer Association, will be staged in Kaohsiung City from November 26 to 29, 2009.

Please see the conference website (www.iave.npotech.org.tw) for full details in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean and to register.

The conference theme is “Volunteerism as a Lifestyle for Social Solidarity”.  The conference organizers write about the theme:
“In recent years, the political, social, and economic climate of the Asia Pacific Region has undergone considerable transformation. Dramatic changes in ecology and the environment, employment, immigration, international relations, tourism, sustainable community development and other issues have taken place. In order to respond to the challenges and continually improve the quality of life, the concept of ‘volunteerism as a lifestyle need’ cannot be overlooked.

“Volunteering makes important contributions economically as well as socially. Volunteering contributes to a more cohesive society by building trust and reciprocity among citizens. Voluntary services and social inclusion are efficient channels to achieve a reciprocal relationship between the community and its citizens. The active role of civic participation is a key ingredient for nurturing urban development and enlightening the public to recognize their social obligations”.

The conference will be built around six “streams for discussion”:

  • Volunteer participation in large-scale international events and conferences
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Application of Information Communications Technology in Volunteer Programs
  • Diversity and Community Engagement: Volunteering and immigration in the community
  • Collective Work of Volunteer Action
  • Intercultural Volunteering Service

 

iave board notes – claudia Mcnamee

We are pleased to announce that Claudia McNamee, corporate representative to the IAVE board of directors, has been named executive director of the White Nights Foundation in New York City.  Claudia previously had been responsible for the corporate volunteer program at Citi.

The White Nights Foundation of America (WNFA) was formed in 1999 to support the U.S. activities of the Mariinsky Theartre’s constituent institutions: the Mariinsky Opera, Ballet, Orchestra, the Academy of Young Singers, and the Young Musician’s Orchestra.

WNFA’s mission includes a commitment ot strengthen and expand the cultural, educational, and business relationships between Russia and the United States and to be a positive, apolitical force for peace.

Her best e-mail address for IAVE remains claudia.mcnamee@gmail.com.

global corporate volunteer council meets in california

IAVE’s Global Corporate Volunteer Council (G-CVC) held the fifth of a series of meetings that have taken place since the launch of the initiative in November of 2006 at the XIX World Volunteer Conference in New Delhi.  Since then, G-CVC has grown from its original six founding members to the current 21 global corporations.

The G-CVC meeting in Sausalito was held June 20-21 at the beautiful Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, California, which is a gorgeous location just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The dates were set to be just preceding the U.S.’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service, convened annually by the Points of Light Institute/ands On Network and the federal Corporation for National and Community Service.

G-CVC member participants in this meeting included Alejandro Diaz-Garretta from Telefonica in Spain, Regina McNally from State Street in Boston, Monica Beatriz Galiano representing Vale from Brasil, Mary Jo Sashegyi and Sherrie Bossung from Lilly in Indianapolis, Rosemary Byrnes from Citi in New York, Sam Santiago and Lawonda Peoples from American Airlines in Dallas, Luiz Covo from C & A in Brasil, Anna Cunningham from Starbucks in Seattle and Karen Kawanami from Disney in Los Angeles.

Additional participants in the meeting included Sarah Hayes, Kathi Dennis and Kenn Allen from IAVE, Audra Jones and Erin Hulme from the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), and Ellen Linsley and Joanne Kumamoto from Connect L.A.  he group was also treated to two outside speakers – Dev Patnaik from Jump Associates and Cleveland Justis from the Institute at Golden Gate, where Cavallo Point Lodge is located, and whose motto is “being dedicated to minimizing the effects of conferences on the environment”.

The meeting was led by Sarah Hayes, Consultant Director for G-CVC, assisted by Sam Santiago from American Airlines, who is also leading the effort around communications and marketing for GCVC. At this meeting a sub-committee was formed and includes Sam, Alejandro from Telefonica and Sherrie from Lilly. Since the meeting, Lisa Cohen from BD has also joined this committee.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the kick-off speaker – Dev Patnaik , Founder and CEO of Jump Associates. His organization helps businesses achieve success through integrating empathy, innovation and strategy. Dev is also the author of a highly successful book called Wired To Care. Dev talked about “Intuition – to feel a vibe before you see it”, “Gut Sense – to know you are right”, “Passion – to take a leap”, “Courage – to stick with something initially shaky”, and “Clarity – to make decisions faster”. Dev’s presentation was very relevant to the attendees, and inspired much discussion and inspiration! It really set the tone for the remainder of the two days.

The companies were asked to consider two questions prior to the meeting – what changes, if any, have they made to their programs given the current economic climate, and also what would be some excellent ways for the G-CVC to celebrate the tenth anniversary of IYV. During the time of company reports in the meeting, the representatives addressed these matters as well as sharing about their current company activities and goals. It was gratifying to hear that even though the recession had caused some changes in company giving, on the whole the volunteer programs were still going strong and in some cases increasing. It was also interesting to note that everyone seems to be in a “time of change”, re-visioning and re-structuring their EVP’s to change with changing times.  There were also some great ideas around IYV and G-CVC in the future – much about social networking (even FlashMob!) and where we want to be in 2021! It was a lively afternoon of discussion!

Audra Jones from IBLF made an interesting presentation to the group about their incredible work with the private sector to build value for civil society throughout the world. They are always on the forward edge of thinking around issues of importance in volunteering and CSR as a whole, and G-CVC is excited to have them as an ongoing partner in our progress.

The G-CVC meeting concluded with a trip to the beautiful Sonoma Valley wine country, with special tastings and presentations for our members.

G-CVC is proud of our progress to date, and we thank all our members for their continued support. In these times it seems the G-CVC is more relevant than ever. We thank our members for making the vision real, for taking our goals to heart, and for adding their own passion and effort. This G-CVC meeting was very valuable for all, and we look forward to many more to come!

News from iave members

Personal Notes

We have heard from our members…

  • Esther Herlitz in Israel reports the sad news that Florence Mittwoch, the past chairperson of the Israel National Council for Voluntarism, passed away at the age of 87.  She had been associated with the Israel Volunteer Council since its inception in 1972.  She also was a senior member of the School for Social Service at Bar – Ilan University, where she also started a Volunteer Training Program for Senior Citizens.
  • Ms. Akiko Seto has retired from her position as Principal of the Japan College of Foreign Languages in Tokyo. All of us in IAVE are thrilled to learn that she has returned to the leadership of IAVE Japan with the goal of renewing and expanding what, historically, was one of IAVE largest and most active national associations – hosts of the 1994 World Volunteer Conference, the 2001 World Youth Volunteer Summit and an Asia-Pacific regional conference.  Her new email addresses are seto@iavejapan.org and office@iavejapan.org.
  • Foster Murphy in England reports that he “volunteered to re-visit his past” earlier this year when he worked with the Officers and Staff of the World Student Christian Federation in Geneva. Between 1965 and 1967 Foster was Irish Secretary of the Student Christian Movement (his first paid job)  The WSCF is a membership organization of nations SCMs – now with 105 members.  Foster volunteered to help the WSCF on organizational development issues (see www.charitablefutures.co.uk for details of his current work) and worked with a small group, drawn from all the continents, over three days introducing them to a number of ways of thinking anew about their organization.   Foster has also been writing for a new UK website – Knowhow Nonprofit – on volunteering topics and the site will become widely available in April 2009.

Introducing Our New Members

VIDES Philippines Volunteers Foundation

One of our newest organizational members is VIDES Philippines Volunteers Foundation.  Sister Jojo, the Philippine Delegate of VIDES, wrote recently to tell us that VIDES is an international NGO of volunteers established by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in 1987.

According to their website – http://videsphil.multiply.com/ – the organization “believes that the youth are effective advocates for social change and transformation. They have a lot to share in promoting the rights, social protection and development of women and children in solidarity with people in communities.”

Sister Jojo can be reached at videspinoy@gmail.com.

volunteering australia

A New Look for the Australian Journal on Volunteering

[Annette Maher, Information and Research Officer at Volunteering Australia, asked us to share the following update on their well-respected journal.]

The publishing platform for the Australian Journal on Volunteering has changed this year.  It is now only available online. People can either subscribe or buy individual articles. Also, there is only one volume per year with subscribers being sent email alerts three times a year (Autumn, Winter and Spring).   To learn more or subscribe: annette.maher@volunteeringaustralia.org.

 

REDE BRASIL VOLUNTÁRIO (RBV) – Brazilian Volunteer Network – established

[This comes to us from Heloisa Coelho, IAVE National Representative in Brazil and Executive Director of Rio Voluntario in Rio de Janeiro.]

The common desire to contribute to a more effective impact of volunteerism in the Brazilian society, expanding and amplifying the efforts that take place all over Brazil, the Volunteer Centers of Curitiba, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo created the Brazilian Volunteer Network.

The RBV will be a social network, formed by Volunteer Centers and organizations which can be noticed among NGOs, companies, schools and universities, which will guide actions, discussions and will make the information exchange happen, on topics related to volunteerism. It will spread the energy originated by each one of its members.

The network also aims to offer and put into practice new, original proposals and strategies for 2011, when the whole world will be announcing and celebrating “2001+10”, the 10 years of the International Year  of Volunteers.

For more information: Heloisa Coelho at direx@riovoluntario.org.br.

IAVE NIGERIA MARKED IVD 2008 WITH WIDOWS DAY

[This comes to us from Rose Ekeleme, IAVE Vice President and founder of IAVE Nigeria.  It was written by Chinenye Atuma, IAVE Secretary in Abia State, Nigeria.]

IAVE Nigeria, Umuahia Abia State, in collaboration with Blessing Welfare Trust, Aba organized a  charitable forum for the widows tagged, “Widows Day” to commemorate the International Volunteers Day (IVD)  2008 at the Aba North Local Government Council Headquarters Aba, Abia State, Nigeria.

In her opening remarks, IAVE Nigeria Coordinator, Dr. Rose Ekeleme explained that IAVE Nigeria is noted for its commitment in volunteering and humanitarian activities which have improved the lives of the less privileged. She proudly announced that IAVE members have been making giant strides in volunteering in the society and called on Abians to join hands with IAVE to do more.

The President of Blessing Welfare Trust, Aba, Mrs Blessing Azuru,  who is IAVE member as well as member  of the Abia State House of Assembly  commended IAVE Nigeria for partnering  with Blessing Welfare Trust to put smiles on the faces of the  widows and disclosed that the welfare Trust  together  with IAVE had given micro-soft loans to the widows, trained some on skills acquisition and conducted free eye examination for them. She stated further that she had sponsored a bill on widows which would soon be passed into law. She urged corporate bodies, government agencies, Non-Governmental organizations and good-spirited individuals to come together and provide succor to the widows and applauded IAVE for providing the platform for the success of the programme.

The wife of the Governor represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs presented cash awards to the women and assured them of government’s continued support and care.

In a good will message to the women, Bishop Owen Azubuike of Anglican Communion, Isiala Ngwa Diocese admonished them not to regard widow-hood as a handicap but as a surmountable challenge.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of several bags of rice, medical eye glasses, wrappers, and cash awards to the women.

The spokesperson for the widows, a female barrister, a widow herself while giving the vote of thanks expressed delight for the gift items and prayed God to sustain the organizers for remembering them.

The occasion was graced by IAVE members, traditional rulers, members of the Abia House of Assembly, Councillors, and members of the public.

Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators (AAVA)

[This comes to us from Leticia Vargas, an individual member from Australia, who is President of the Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators.  Her message, which originally appeared in their own e-newsletter, is relevant not only to her immediate constituency but also to all IAVE members.  Leticia can be reached at leticiav@volunteeringgc.com.au and the AAVA website can be found at http://www.aava.asn.au].

We all need to band together and help each other in these tough economic times for which we have not come to experience even a quarter of its full sting.    Through establishing values and strength in the face of adversity we will be able to get through times of trouble and crisis.  This is the time for volunteer managers to shine as we are particularly good at communicating and keeping the fine balance between nurturing and achieving!

Now is the time to knock on doors and make the corporate and government sectors stand up and take note, not only through our words but through our actions.  We need to demonstrate that as times get tougher there will be more need for community groups and hence more need to support volunteer managers.  And the time to invest in building that infrastructure is NOW!

I heard a very sad story on the week end of how much “assistance” is going to waste in the midst of the Melbourne tragedies because of poor coordination.  I couldn’t help but think that if there were a band of dedicated and professional volunteer managers who were appropriately supported at the helm of that particular project, then aide and assistance would be reaching people and the whole re-building process made so much easier for many.

My challenge to you this month is to see what you can do to make the influence of the Volunteer Managers in this nation stronger.  Put your case forward to increased funding of our profession to both local government and businesses – and tell me of your successes and outcomes so we can share on the next e-news! Good luck!

News from the global volunteer community

Kumi Naidoo to Head Greenpeace International

[We were thrilled to see this announcement in E-CIVICUS.  Many of you will recognize Kumi as the former leader of CIVICUS and a frequent keynote speaker at IAVE World Volunteer Conferences.  He is one of the world’s foremost activists, from his work against apartheid in South Africa to his advocacy for the voluntary sector while at CIVICUS to founding of Global Call to Action Against Poverty.  And now…the environment!  Hooray, Kumi!]

Note: This article is abstracted from the Greenpeace International website.  The full article can be found at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/new-leadership-at-greenpeace-110609.

Greenpeace will soon have a new leader. Kumi Naidoo will take up the role of Executive Director of Greenpeace International in November 2009, when Gerd Leipold steps down after nearly nine years as our activist-in-chief.

Kumi was part of the successful struggle against apartheid in his native South Africa. He is an activist and a Rhodes Scholar.  For ten years he was the General Secretary of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Today he sits on the board of Greenpeace Africa and chairs the Global Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA).
He was one of the founders of Global Call to Action Against Poverty, which has grown since 2005 into a coalition of anti-poverty campaigners from over 100 countries. They apply public pressure on leaders to fulfil promises on aid, trade, debt, climate change and gender equality.

Kumi brings with him a passion for activism, for non-violence and clear ideas for shaping the future of Greenpeace. His experiences in campaigning, fundraising, advocacy, policy work, networked organisations and leading through change will all be called upon.

“The way Greenpeace works on all levels from confrontation to cooperation with governments and corporations is an inspiration. The mix of pragmatism and passion really gets things done and effects real change in the world. I believe that Greenpeace is one of the most precious assets the global community posses as a critical part in reversing the current fatal trajectory of our planet,” says Kumi.

Gerd Leipold will remain at the helm until November, and has this to say about the successor he has already worked closely with: “Kumi has all of the qualities needed to take Greenpeace forward and lead it in the greatest challenge it and the world has ever faced: climate change.”

Greenpeace International (Stichting Greenpeace Council), is the body that coordinates global Greenpeace policy and strategy, and is based in Amsterdam.

how you can help keep e-iave coming every month

Our greatest challenge is filling E-IAVE every month.  We need your help with:

  • Stories about your organization and how volunteers are involved;
  • Stories about your individual volunteer activities;
  • “Opinion pieces”, editorial comments, etc about volunteering in your country or around the world;
  • Reports on the “state of health” of volunteering around the world.

Think of it this way – what would you most like to read about in E-IAVE about volunteering in other countries and the work of other members?  Then send us something similar from your country.

 

Send to kenn@civilsocietyconsulting.com.

 

Thanks!