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Newsletter
July 2010
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THIS MONTH'S TOPICS
1. FROM THE SERVICE: Changing the world online – New Online Volunteering booklet
2. TIP: Certificate of appreciation - Highly valued by online volunteers
3. EXPERIENCE: Enhancing the capacities of Caritas International Belgium – Asia Desk
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1. FROM THE SERVICE: Changing the world online – New Online Volunteering booklet
We are very pleased to announce the publication of the booklet ’Changing the world online’, which features many of the stories and experiences that online volunteers and organizations have shared with us. You can view and download the booklet on the Spread the Word page, where you will also find materials and tips for promoting the Online Volunteering service. Soon to be found on the same page: the Online Volunteering service flyer in the additional languages - Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian.
We thank all of you who contributed to this booklet and in particular the organizations and online volunteers who accepted to share their experiences to inspire others and promote online volunteering. Our sincere gratitude goes also to our online volunteers Delia Tasso and Anne-Marie Bekaert, who translated the booklet into Spanish and French respectively.
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2. TIP: Certificate of appreciation - Highly valued by online volunteers
Issuing a certificate of appreciation to your online volunteers upon satisfactory completion of the collaboration is a way to show recognition for their contributions. You can easily issue such a certificate via the Online Volunteering service website once both you and the volunteer have completed your respective feedback forms (visit the June newsletter for more information regarding the feedback). To issue the certificate, access the Manage Volunteers tab in your organization account, and click on the Issue Certificate link that appears next to the volunteer's name. The certificate is issued in PDF format and the volunteer is automatically notified by email that his or her certificate is available and can be viewed and printed from his or her account.
The certificate features the organization’s name, the opportunity title and the volunteer’s name, as well as the UNV Online Volunteering service emblem. When choosing a title for your online volunteering opportunity, it is important to keep in mind that it will show on the certificate. A short title that reflects the contribution of the volunteer makes the certificate more meaningful. If available on your organization profile, your organization logo will also show on the certificate and give it a distinctive look. If you have not yet uploaded your logo to your organization profile, you can do so by logging in to your account on www.onlinevolunteering.org and clicking on the Edit link in the My Organization section. Your organization does not yet have a logo? Ask for online volunteers to design it!
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3. EXPERIENCE: Enhancing the capacities of Caritas International Belgium – Asia Desk
Caritas International Belgium – Asia Desk assists the victims of war, natural disasters, migration and poverty in the region. Online volunteers are supporting the office in various areas of its work, from reviewing concept notes and project proposals to editing and designing publications and translating documents.
Online volunteer Bertrand Jolas, a development worker with more than 10 years of experience in European Union (EU) funding, not only helped enhance the project proposals for EU grants, but also increased the capacity of Asia Desk staff and local partners in developing these proposals. “One of the project proposals Bertrand helped us with was accepted by the EU and is currently being implemented. It aims to improve access to adequate government support services by populations living in conflict-affected sub-districts in the south of Thailand”, says Joeri Leysen, the Asia Desk representative. “The professional looking newsletters and the annual reports help us attract supporters and donors, and we frequently use the English translation of the funding guidelines of the Belgian government when implementing a Belgian government project”, Joeri adds.
A manual is currently being developed on Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development for Caritas’ projects in Asia. Specialized in development economics and Asian studies, online volunteer Tamara van’t Wout is assisting with the compilation of information for the manual, which focuses on providing tools related to Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation, and includes examples of good practices and lessons learned to support the work of Caritas member organisations and community-based organisations in addressing disaster risks.
“Through the exchange with volunteers of different social, economic and professional backgrounds, I also have benefited in my professional development”, says Joeri Leysen.
Tamara van't Wout, born in the Republic of Korea, raised in the Netherlands and currently living in Italy, has a degree in International Relations with specializations in development economics and Asian studies. She is about to complete a Master’s degree in Human Development and Food Security and works part-time as a consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. While assisting with the manual, part of her task was to coordinate a group of online volunteers who helped with researching policies and studies. “I started volunteering online in 2004 and did several assignments, from translating project documents to researching and editing articles. Through these assignments I gained more development-related experience, which helped me when I started working in the development sector. I wanted to volunteer for this well-known humanitarian and development organization, because it would allow me to gain insight into food security issues in the Asian region, which complements the current master that I am doing. And I thought that with my knowledge and experience, I would be able to contribute. I am very much for the idea of exchanging knowledge and sharing information. And through online volunteering it is easy, you can divide your time according to your own schedule, and it is also enjoyable to be working with other energetic and enthusiastic people from different parts of the globe.”
Luu Thi Ngoc Anh, from Ha Noi, Viet Nam, graduated in 2007 from the University of Natural Sciences – Vietnam National University, Ha Noi with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences. Then she joined a local NGO working on environmental education and wildlife protection as a Communications Officer. In early 2008, she became a national UN Volunteer Communications Specialist for the UNV Vietnam Country Office. Later she joined Winrock International in their Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP), again as a Communications Officer. She designs the quarterly newsletter and annual report. “Before joining Caritas, I just had little experience with disaster and humanitarian relief, and often wondered how this could be carried out in the field, and what the results are. Gradually, by just helping Caritas Belgium Asia Desk with designing their publications, reading stories and articles inside, I came to understand more of that, and could partly feel how much the vulnerable or affected communities have to suffer. I still remember how I did enjoy the story of a woman (in one newsletter last year) and how her life had improved since she got funding to buy a milk buffalo. Such stories made me feel appreciated of what I have now and how lucky I am compared to those people – and I think this is one of the valuable rewards I got when joining this online assignment.”
Janet Sharpe, a UK citizen currently living in the UK, has spent many years working in Italy as a freelance editor/translator mainly in the area of humanitarian aid. She edits the Asia Desk’s newsletter and annual reports. “I was interested in volunteering for the Caritas Belgium Asia Desk, particularly because of the work they do to support people struggling to deal with difficult circumstances such as the aftermath of natural disasters. For me, it is important to connect with the wider world. I think it is true to say that these days, whenever there is a disaster somewhere in the world, we receive so much information through so many different channels that it’s difficult to know where to start if you want to make a constructive contribution. Yet by volunteering online from my desk at home, I can easily do that. Mine is a small contribution, but I hope that it helps to spread the message about the work that is being done and encourages others to support them too.
Bertrand Jolas is both French and Guatemalan. “I grew up between France and Guatemala, which gave me a sense of the differences between a developed and a developing country. This may have influenced my passion for development and my choice to work in this field.” He graduated as a Chemical Engineer in Guatemala, got a Master's degree in Project Management in France, after which, in 1997, he started working in a French consulting company specialized in development. He has recently joined the European Commission and has been posted in the EU Delegation in Jordan, where he is dealing with trade and transport issues. For Caritas, Bertrand has reviewed concept notes and project proposals. “Despite a first collaboration that was not conclusive as the project had been rejected, the second one was successful and contributed to the European Union selecting the project for funding. This was very gratifying.”
