FROM THE EDITOR

We don’t have as much IAVE organizational news this month but a lot to share from folks around the world.  As you are reading this, members of the IAVE board are traveling to Paris for their annual board meeting, October 10-12, hosted by France Bénévolat, the national volunteer center of France.  Look for a full report on that board meeting next month,

 

— Kenn Allen

 

NEWS FROM IAVE

 

IYV+10…the countdown continues

ONLY 15 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.

 

NEW DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD CONFERENCE

 

IAVE’s 21st World Volunteer Conference is firmly scheduled for January 24-27, 2011 in Singapore at Sentosa, the new Resorts World hotel.  A youth volunteer conference will immediately precede it, January 21-23, taking place on the campus of Singapore Management University.

 

A team of IAVE board members spent three days in Singapore in September, meeting with the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, host organization for the World Conference.  They came away impressed with the level of organization and the preparation already underway.

 

Beginning next month, we will have regular updates on plans for the conference.

 

Make your plans NOW to be in Singapore in January 2011 to help IAVE and its partners throughout the world kick-off our celebration of IYV+10.

 

News from iave members

 

international volunteer day in kenya

 

We are pleased to hear from our member National Volunteer Network Trust (NAVNET) in Kenya about their plans for celebration of International Volunteer Day on December 5 this year.  They write:

 

“This year’s theme for International Volunteer Day (IVD) is “Volunteering for Our Planet”

 

“Climate change impacts all of us, but will hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Ensuring environmental sustainability and protecting the most vulnerable will require the ingenuity and solidarity of every citizen. But through voluntary action, all of us can take responsibility for this big challenge. Taken together, all our small actions can lead to big results (UNV, 2009)………………!!!

 

“Working in partnership with the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development (Nairobi Metro 2030) NAVNET launched a city-wide campaign dubbed “Let’s Clean and Green Nairobi for Sustainable Development” on September 19.”

 

For more information, please contact Johnson Ireri Kinyua, Director of NAVNET at info@navnet.or.ke.

 

national volunteer week 2010 in australia

 

Volunteering Australia has announced the theme for National Volunteer Week, May 10-16, 2010.

 

Volunteering: Now, more than ever

 

They write in their announcement:

 

“This theme really brings volunteering to the forefront and provides a focused agenda for the volunteer sector. It will raise the profile of volunteering and highlight that volunteering, now, more than ever, is important to Australian society and the contribution of all volunteers must be recognized.
“This theme can be used by groups to recruit ‘Now more than ever we need you’ or recognise and thank ‘Now more than ever we recognize and value our volunteers’ and we will provide organisations with key messages and ideas from which they can use the theme in the coming months.
“Our plans for NVW are now well underway and we are currently seeking creative submissions for the poster design. We are also finalizing what promotional items will be available to help celebrate the week.”

 

You can keep up with the work of Volunteering Australia through their excellent website, www.volunteeringaustralia.org.

 

mexico to honor its volunteers on ivd

 

[This information came to us from Susana Barnetche, IAVE National Representative for Mexico.  She can be reached at susmart@prodigy.net.mx]

 

The Mexican Government will be present the National 2009 Volunteer Action and Solidarity Awards on International Volunteer Day, December 5th.

 

The Organizing Committee will be formed by the Health Ministry, the Citizen Council of the National Family Development System, the National Presidency, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Social Development Ministry and the Treasure Ministry.

 

President Felipe Calderón is calling for nominations from the organized civil society in order to motivate, strengthen and acknowledge volunteer actions, in the following categories:

  • As a group
  • As individuals
  • As youth

 

The awards will be presented by the President and his wife in the official residence of Los Pinos.

 

iave japan forum on university students & service

 

On Sep. 13, IAVE Japan co-sponsored the forum, titled “Only the university students can do”, with IVUSA (International Volunteer University Student Association) for the purpose of promoting volunteerism among the young people.  60 participants and representatives of university volunteer centers attended.  The program was focused to five (5) areas; i.e. 1) Multi-Cultural Coexistence, 2) Community Activation, 3) Disaster Rescue, 4) Education, and 5) International Cooperation.  Each participant chose two areas at his/her own interest and attended the workshops.  Workshop was started by two presentations followed by commentator’s summary, then moved to a group work which was consisted of three parts, A) Sharing experience, B) Group discussion, C) Summary presentation focused on “Clarify the advantages and disadvantages the university students experienced and future scope and development”.

 

We found a positive indication on students’ enthusiasm in doing volunteer activities and also support by university for promoting volunteerism and enhancing social education.  The program was closed with an overall comment by Prof. Yoshinori Yamaoka of Hosei University, who is executive director of Japan NPO Center. His comment included two future issues, one is how to respond to the community requirement of expertness from amateur level, and the other is further necessity of pre-training the students.

 

In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced in 2003 the support program for distinctive univesity education to ensure a quality development of human resources in the 21st century.  Government support called “Good Practice” was continued for 4 years until 2006.  As a result, 105 universities, out of 756 universities in Japan, established volunteer center in-house to nurture the students a “good citizenship”, respond to the community / social issues and become responsible for a better society.

 

new volunteering newsletter from the netherlands

 

We are pleased to share the news that IAVE member MOVISIE, the national volunteer center in the Netherlands has launched a new English-language online newsletter.  To view the current issue and to subscribe, please go to http://a.1y.nl/s/v.php?eHp3VzZTNkRgRW5BX056cWVRaFAv by copying this address and pasting it into your web browser.  Thanks to our colleagues at MOVISIE for this great effort at making news of their work and of volunteering in the Netherlands more known.

 

 

GCVC Spotlight on Corporate Volunteering

Disney announces new promotion of family volunteering

 

[We are pleased to share this story about a very unique promotion being sponsored by the Disney Company, a founding member of the Global Corporate Volunteer Council, to promote family volunteering in the U.S.  This came to us as a press release from Disney via Sarah Hayes, consultant director of IAVE’s GCVC.]

 

Disney Parks has announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.”

 

Disney hopes to inspire families to volunteer in their communities during 2010 through this first of its kind program.  One million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park.

 

While the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program kicks off Jan. 1, right now guests can learn more about the program and how to get their free one-day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park by visiting www.DisneyParks.com (for the United States and Puerto Rico) or www.DisneyParks.ca (for Canada).

 

In the past year, guests have been celebrating all sorts of special moments in their lives at Disney parks – from birthdays and anniversaries to reunions and graduations – as part of the “What Will You Celebrate?” campaign.

 

“In 2010, we want to recognize and add one more reason for celebration: the contributions people make to their communities every day,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  “We want to inspire 1 million volunteers – people who will invest time and energy to make their own communities and neighborhoods a better place.”

 

To enable people to sign up for an eligible volunteer project, Disney is working with HandsOn Network, the nation’s largest volunteer network.  Part of Points of Light Institute, HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the country and connects volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies that need their help.

 

Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, “ Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ fits perfectly with our long history of supporting and participating in volunteer efforts.  It’s a great way to honor guests who are making a positive contribution to their communities.”

 

Starting Jan. 1, 2010, guests can go to www.DisneyParks.com for the United States and Puerto Rico or www.DisneyParks.ca for Canada to search for volunteer opportunities available in those areas through HandsOn Network and sign up for a day of volunteer service.  Many of the opportunities will be for projects that entire families can participate in together.

 

To raise awareness for grass-roots community volunteerism and the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, Disney VoluntEARS joined local volunteers in cities across the United States and Canada today.  Work projects involving 1,000 volunteers were coordinated by HandsOn Network in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, and across Canada – in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver.

 

Joining the Sept. 29 effort were scores of volunteers from Southwest Airlines, which will also provide transportation for a 20-city tour that will take the Disney Parks volunteer message to major cities across the United States this fall and winter.

 

a volunteer’s story

 

Maria Teresa Gnecco, Regional Representative to the IAVE Board of Directors from Latin America, sent us this essay which was written by a member of IAVE from Colombia, a young man named Daniel Buritica.  This is his story of his volunteering.  If you would like to respond to him, his email address is danielburitica@hotmail.com.  If you would like to share your own volunteer story, send it to us at kenn@civilsocietyconsulting.com.

 

EVERYTHING STARTED IN THEIR SMILES

 

I do not remember any of their names but I will never forget those faces and the shine of their eyes when that day came. It was the first big party for most of them and their parents prepared everything for the big day when their kid received the Body of Christ for the first time. I never had those pictures but I must be in some of them, because at the end, there was always a picture with the teacher. And that was me. The teacher. And this story began alter months of preparation for this big day.

 

I was studying in a prestigious school of Bogotá-Colombia and I decided to volunteer for the first time, turning into teacher every Friday afternoon, to prepare kids for their first communion.

 

That was my excuse to get to know these little persons that live in the painful world of poverty but in the amazing space of love.

 

Everything was fine until that day arrived. After months of smiles, homework, games and innocent talks, the ceremony started and the feelings begin to fight between each other. See them all dress up in the eyes of their proud parents, fulfill my heart with happiness, but at the same time I knew that I won’t see them again and a fog of sadness covers my soul.

 

After all I was only the teacher and, even I did my best, I could not change their situation and stole this kids from poverty. They still live in the same neighborhood, with the unbalance food and without opportunities.

 

But something definitely changed. I did. I started to look in a different way every kid that sells candies on the streets. I understood how privileged I was and the huge responsibility that was over me. I thought I was the teacher and at the end I realized that I was still the student. This kids taught me more that all my schoolteachers. Then I took a decision. This first volunteer experience could not be the last one!

 

Then school was over and life present itself exiting and full of uncertainty. Six months in France made me understand other cultures, other way to life, think and act.  Made me feel proud of my country but citizen of the world.

 

After that I started the University. It was a completely new fantastic world but there were not my kids. I was not the teacher anymore and at the end of the week anybody came to show me his homework. In the temple of the academy I only found that most of the young people did not know the happiness of being volunteer and help others. They had not discovered the way people change when your see reflected in the smiles of the kids. They only think about their grades, friends and parties at the weekend.

 

Then I felt lucky because I had a treasure called volunteer work, and my duty was to share it. Maybe, built a new world could started by telling my story and inviting others have the same experience that I had. Like that they could fell how the hug of a child is something that stay forever in the soul.

 

Since then I have been working to make that young people give to others their most precious gift: Their youth, and whit it, a real commitment to work for a better world. I was not going to ask for money or votes. I just wanted that each one of them gave their hearts to those who need love and their hand to those who are in poverty. I needed the energy of young people as the engine of change. I wanted to build new ideologies with young people ideas and to seed new values in their souls.  I wanted that they share with me this feeling and that they wanted, as I do, to change the world. Because at the end that will mean a new generation commitment with others and the power of this can transform our world into a better one.

 

Since my first volunteer experience as a teacher I have been volunteer in CONVIVIO, Un techo para mi país, Soñar despierto, Derivada, La Olla Feliz, Abrazos Gratis, Colnupas, Colombia Pa Lante, BAKONGO y la Red Colombiana de Jóvenes RECOJO.

 

Some people say that volunteer is a life style, I think that they are wrong, it is much more than that, it is to fulfill life with piece of eternity. That is why now my dream is to be part of the board of IAVE to inspire young people around the globe to volunteer and share with me the happiness of help other because no mater your age, race, social condition, country or religion, the true is that “if you do not live to serve, your life is not serving.”

 

 

News from the global volunteer community

 

china to evaluate students’ volunteering

 

[This story came to us from Kathi Dennis, IAVE’s Executive Secretary.  It is from China News which can be found at www.chinaview.cn].

 

China plans to incorporate volunteer service into the evaluation of student performances to promote the spirit of selflessness, the Ministry of Education [announced in July].

 

High school student volunteer work records will play an important part in university entrance selection, which is usually dominated by exam scores, said a notice issued by the ministry.

 

Excellent volunteer records would also promote the chances of winning scholarships for students in schools and universities.

 

The ministry urged schools to compile teaching materials for volunteer work training, set up special funds for volunteer services and encourage students to take part in social activities during holidays.

 

Schools were also asked to map out their own detailed evaluation standards as soon as possible.

 

In April, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education issued a similar circular calling for schools to keep student volunteer experience on record for school enrolment and employment.

 

The Beijing government expected the move to greatly increase the number of volunteers in community work, which involves 1.78 million students in the city.

 

Volunteers have always played a big part in major events in China, including the Beijing Olympic Games.  Statistics from the International Olympic Committee show that an Olympic record 1,125,799 people applied to be volunteers for the Beijing Games.  A total of 100,000 volunteers were selected to provide direct services for the Olympics and Paralympics, with 400,000 city volunteers offering information, language and other services.

 

As of last year, China had 29.5 million registered volunteers, according to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League.

 

scams, scams and more scams

 

We have to give credit, we guess, to the amazing variety of “scams”, internet-based attempts to steal money from people, that come through our email.  Here are three to watch out for:

 

  • The Diana Memorial Foundation does NOT exist.  First warnings about it were posted online in 2005.  It appears designed to steal information about bank accounts by promising that an outrageously large grant has been given to the recipient of the email.  In the one we got, it was 3.5 MILLION British pounds.  Sure….!
  • Tim Burns at Volunteering New Zealand warns to be wary of email notices that someone is attempting to register your internet domain name in Asia.  The president of Internet NZ advises that it is best to delete it and forget it.
  • UNESCO is NOT giving prizes through a “global literacy lottery program” that supposedly chose YOU out of 350,000 email addresses.

And, finally, in one of the ugliest of all, the claim is made that the recipient is being given $250,000 by the United Nations to compensate them for having been scammed in the past!

 

There is no free lunch…no online random lotteries…no huge grants given for no reason…and no compensation for being scammed even when you weren’t!  Sorry.