December 16, 2010

Winners of the IAVE IYV+10 Volunteer Video Competition Announced

IAVE IRC

An imaginative flight of fancy with paper airplanes from Canada, and an inspirational film about stocking a library with books in Thailand were the final two winners of the IAVE IYV+10 Volunteer Video Competition.

After a popular poll from IAVE.org users, our panel of judges finally chose the following two videos to represent IAVE at the 2011 World Volunteer Conference in Singapore - the launch event to the tenth anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10).

The Winners are:

★ 【 The Dream Team - IYV+10 Video Competition 】

Creator	Shannon Elliot
Group's Name	The Dream Team of the University of Western Ontario
Nationality	Canada
Volunteer Experience	BEING able to grant the wish of a child with a life-threatening medical condition is truly an incredible opportunity. The Dream Team, in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southwestern Ontario®, has successfully granted wishes for two young children since the team was founded in 2007. The Dream Team engages the Health Sciences student body at the University of Western Ontario through fundraising efforts and awareness campaigns each academic year. Our Executive committee is committed to organizing and communicating opportunities throughout the Faculty, enriching the experience of students as they study the field of healthcare. With over 50 active members, we have received overwhelming support for our initiatives throughout the year. Hosting coffeehouses, clothing sales, and events with the Faculty of Health Sciences Students’ Council, we continue to reach our annual goal to successfully grant a child’s wish.
Video Intro	DREAM Team volunteers were asked to share what their ultimate wish would be for. While we each have our own dreams, the chance to see a wish granted for a child faced with a life-threatening medical condition is a priority shared by all of us. We recognize the challenge of our task, but believe that through our combined efforts the sky is truly the limit.
Creative Concept	THE students were each asked to wrute what they would wish for, given the opportunity to have anything imaginable. Each student was able to present their written response and read their wish out loud. The wishes were then folded into paper airplanes to symbolize that through the work of the Dream Team with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the sky is the limit in terms of posibilities. We believe that while we all have our own individual wishes, we ultimately share the same goal of being able to grant the wish of a child faced with a life-threathening medical condition.

★ Hope in Reading - One Book One Family

Creator	Liao, Fuchi
Group's Name	Ling Tung University Overseas Volunteer Service Team 2010 “Chain of Love in Northern Thailand” Volunteer Experience
Nationality	Taiwan
Volunteer Experience	2010 was the third year we volunteered in Northern Thailand. When we first went to there, we learned to adjust to the local culture, and after trying hard, we made steady progress. We saw children in Northern Thailand who were not deflated by their poor situation, but instead have a positive outlook, and grasp every opportunity to study. This strengthened our resolve to help them learn. It was the least we could do to reach out a hand of friendship across the borders. We discovered that it isn’t hard to do something if you feel strongly about it, and that “love is a universal language”. By sticking it out to the end, we found that there is nothing you cannot achieve if you put your mind to it.
Video Intro	Reading Builds a Bridge of Hope After we learned that Huilong Chinese School in Northern Thailand established a library in 2010, we helped them design a catalogue system. We started by collecting books teaching the older students how to organize the library, and helping the teachers set up a loan system, to keep the library neat and well-managed. Our “library management” teacher training course focused on how reading can change your life and help you realize your dreams. And by encouraging families to borrow books, the library is becoming a focus of knowledge and learning.
Creative Concept	Reading Builds a Bridge of Hope Although the library had already been established, the books donated from overseas had not been properly catalogued. This was our main goal this year. Like little ants, the Huilong School children made a line that went around the campus, and passed books from a distant storeroom along the chain to the library on the other side of a high wall - upstairs and down, downstairs and up. To make their own reading room, the children happily moved the books out of the chaotic storeroom and into the Hualong library, where they were sorted and catalogued. Everyone working together as a team made a big difference. “Reading is more that picking up a book - it is a life-changing experience.” Reading helps open a window on the world, and books are lifelong guides for children.

Congratulations to the two winners, and a big pat on the back to everyone else who took part. The judges had a very difficult time choosing from an outstanding selection of high quality videos, which showed unique, quirky, moving or amusing visions of volunteering in 2011.

IAVE International Resource Center hopes to continue this initiative throughout the anniversary year in 2011, so please keep voting for your favorite video, and sharing your own films with us at video@iave.org.

★ Back to the IYV+10 Volunteer Video Competition's main page ★ View all the submitted videos ★