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JANUARY 2012

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THIS MONTH'S TOPICS
1. FROM THE SERVICE: IYV+10 culminates in the launch of the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report and a UN General Assembly resolution on volunteerism
2. EXPERIENCE: Monitoring and reporting on IYV+10 activities worldwide
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1. FROM THE SERVICE: IYV+10 culminates in the launch of the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report and a UN General Assembly resolution on volunteerism

Concluding IYV+10

International Volunteer Day on 5 December 2011 marked the conclusion of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10).

During the anniversary year, a wide range of partners and stakeholders joined forces to promote the values of volunteering, to recognize the positive impacts of volunteering, to build and reinforce volunteering networks, and to facilitate people’s contributions to peace and the Millennium Development Goals through volunteering.

Partner organizations from civil society, governments and the UN worked out a comprehensive and inclusive volunteering vision and agenda for 2011 and beyond to shift the debate on volunteerism from being perceived as a marginal factor in development assistance or humanitarian response to being recognized as a mainstream asset to empower people of all origins and socio economic backgrounds to take action for social change and social justice.

Online volunteers supported the promotion of IYV+10 locally and globally throughout the year, for instance by creating websites, designing and translating outreach material, or monitoring and reporting on IYV+10 related initiatives in their countries.

UN General Assembly passes resolution on volunteerism

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 5 December devoted two meetings to volunteerism and passed a resolution that sets the path for the future of volunteerism, emphasizing the contribution of volunteering to the Millennium Development Goals, and calling for a people-centred, holistic approach to development.

UNV launches State of the World's Volunteerism Report

swvr_homepagepic_eng At the UN General Assembly on 5 December and in around 80 other locations around the world, UNV launched the first State of the World's Volunteerism Report.

Online volunteers from across the world contributed to the report by identifying proverbs related to volunteerism and researching how volunteerism is presented in the mass media in their countries.

The report demonstrates the universality, scope and reach of volunteerism along with new trends in the twenty-first century such as online volunteering. It examines important volunteer contributions in diverse fields and shows that, in most societies around the world, volunteers make significant contributions to economic and social development.

UNV anticipates that the report will help change the perception, discussion, research and practice of volunteerism for peace and development and move volunteerism into a new era in which its true dimensions and significance are an integral part of the general discourse on global issues.

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EXPERIENCE: Monitoring and reporting on IYV+10 activities worldwide

Throughout 2011, a team of 29 online volunteers monitored and reported on initiatives related to the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10). The volunteers covered over 50 countries, looking out for any and all mentions of IYV+10 on TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, magazines, blogs and social media in their respective regions and languages. Their reports have been featured in the IYV+10 Newsletter and will be summarized into a year-end report that will detail exactly what happened during IYV+10.

Elisabeth Musanganire, Rwanda

Elisabeth_Musanganire I have a Bachelor in Law and a Master in Political Science and I’m currently working as a legal expert in the Ministry of Justice.

I decided to become an online volunteer after I met people who worked for UNV during the Rwanda Election and from whom I learnt that volunteerism empowers people to take an active part in the development of their own communities, to take responsibility for the needs of others and to make an impact in their own lives. Those volunteers can change the world.

I have chosen this assignment because it was an opportunity for me to support IYV+10 and to better understand the role that volunteers play in civil society.

My online collaboration with the organization and other online volunteers was amazing. Through our group on Teamworks, (UNDP/UNV’s new social-networking platform) we shared information and knowledge. From this group, I gained new friends, ideas and experience.

Online volunteering completely changed my life. As the result of my online volunteering experience and its impact, I plan to keep on helping to the extent to which I am able for my entire life.

Diana-Adela Ionita, Romania

Diana_Adela_Ionita I am 24 years old, I come from Romania and I am currently living in my native country. It is the place where, in December 1989 thousands of people struggled against the communist regime. After so many years of oppression, we were finally free. But what have we done with our liberty in 21 years?

Always looking for new options of self-development and challenges, with a degree in Journalism and Communication and a Master’s degree in ‘Techniques of Editorial Production for Print Press, Audiovisual and Multimedia’, with work experience in PR, advertising, media and youth work, I have decided to use the knowledge I have gained until now as an online volunteer.

Getting inspired by the amazing volunteering stories that I have heard through the IVY + 10 project, I have decided to continue my mission. So starting from March, I will be an EVS volunteer in Spain, working for Cazalla Intercultural NGO (Lorca, Murcia), which struggles with projects on issues like human rights, international conflicts and social inclusion.

Lilyana Dokken, native of Bulgaria / living in the U.S.A.

Lilyana_Dokken I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Archaeology. At the moment I am taking care of my one-year-old daughter.

I have always been interested in volunteering, but our frequent relocations due to my husband’s job prevented me from staying with a specific volunteering organization in a specific location. Online volunteering is convenient because I can choose a project that fits my interest, and I can decide at what part of the day I can participate.

When I was living in Bulgaria volunteerism wasn’t very popular. Statistics from the 90s and early 2000s show that volunteering activities are extremely limited. Participating with this project was very interesting and exciting for me. I wanted to see if the things have been changed. Events like IYV+10 improve public awareness about volunteerism and encourage government and the society to give back. I was very happy when I was chosen to be correspondent for Bulgaria for IYV+10.

I really enjoy being an online volunteer. At the moment I am involved in a few online volunteering opportunities. Online volunteering makes me more organized, gives me more knowledge and skills and makes me a better person.

Raffaella Avantaggiato, Italy

Raffaella_Avantaggiato I focused my studies on International Development Cooperation and I was trained to process, implement and assess local and regional development projects and cooperation programmes.

My main reason for being an online volunteer coincide with the motivation which leads my volunteering actions: making my contribution to the society at large. This is the driving force which currently gives me a lot of opportunities to improve myself in every field. In fact, thanks to the Internet I can experience both the same enthusiasm and interest as every “non-virtual” volunteering experience generates.

I feel part of a project which leads me to organize my day according to this commitment. I have a sense of responsibility for my position which allows me to always find some time during the day to read some article related to volunteerism as per my assignment. I am not able to count the hours I spend on my assignment because whenever I have the chance, I try to read and keep me up to date in my research field.

In particular, the idea of using a social networking space has increased my sense of participation in the project, making me feel part of a great team that is working for a common goal. I can interact easily with the other online volunteers and learn from them as well as I can share my ideas and experience.

Dayeri Zapata, Nicaragua

Dayeri_Zapata In my country, countless people are not familiar with the concept of volunteerism. My studies in International Relations led me down the path of international cooperation, and my contact with the world of volunteer work began from the experience of living in Spain during my Master’s studies.

My stay in this country definitely marked me because it introduced me into the world of volunteering through an organization like Intermón Oxfam, appreciating and valuing the work of countless individuals to try to alleviate the problems of the world.
When I returned to Nicaragua, face-to-face volunteering possibilities were limited. Online volunteering has allowed me to discover a new tool which can contribute to projects of organizations involved in the development of the population, as well as a way of life.