April - May 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

FROM THE EDITOR
IYV+10…THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
• UNV Releases Vision Statement for IYV+10
• Meeting the New UNV Coordinator for IYV+10: Simona Costanzo
• Are You Listening?  We Need Your Help!
• IAVE’s IYV+10 Calendar

NEWS FROM IAVE
• From the World President
• Update on the 2011 World Volunteer Conference
• Plans for the Latin American Conference

FROM IAVE MEMBERS
• A Report from Kenya
• A Note from New Zealand
• A Poem from Nigeria

FROM THE GLOBAL VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY
• Volunteer Work as a Valuable Leisure-Time Activity
• Volunteering Up Among Americans in 2009
• Resources You Can Use Today

FROM THE EDITOR 

This is a combined issue for April and May as the May issue, which will be sent May 15, will be devoted solely to the upcoming IAVE elections and will serve as the official call for nominations.

-- Kenn Allen

IYV+10…the countdown continues

ONLY 8 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 giving leadership to the nongovernmental volunteer community in celebrating this global recognition of volunteering. 

UNV RELEASES VISION STATEMENT FOR IYV+10 

[IAVE has been active involved with United Nations Volunteers in moving forward plans for IYV+10.  UNV’s recently released vision statement for IYV+10 was the result of several months of consultation by an organizing committee which included many of the world volunteer organizations of which IAVE is a member.]

Inspiring the Volunteer in You

In celebrating IYV+10:

Volunteer values
 
We celebrate volunteering as an expression of our common humanity and as a means of building mutual respect, understanding, trust, solidarity and reciprocity.

We embrace volunteering as universal and inclusive, and recognize volunteering in its diversity, as well as the purpose that sustains it: a firm belief in the values of equality, solidarity, civic engagement as well as individual and collective freedoms.

Volunteer engagement

We recognize that volunteering benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer and we recognize that volunteering contributes to human development and human rights as much as to the personal development of the individual volunteer.

We value volunteering as an opportunity for people to connect, engage, and discover joint solutions. And we purposefully create opportunities for volunteer participation.

We engage the will, the positive energy and the innovation of millions of people towards realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and in building social cohesion, mutual understanding and the achievement of community-centered goals.

We invest in enabling the environment for citizen engagement: the development of volunteering policies and supportive legislation; in volunteer management and support; in measuring the impact of volunteering; and in knowledge building and knowledge sharing about volunteering and what it can achieve.

Volunteering in the future
 
We envisage societies that value, recognize and encourage volunteering as integral to local, national and international plans and priorities.

We foresee a future in which all individuals embrace a shared commitment to voluntarily contribute, within their capacity, to the pursuit of the common good and to the ideals of harmony and peace.

We face the future of volunteering with optimism, innovation and enthusiasm.

We call upon all leaders in Governments, volunteer involving organizations, civil society, private sector, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations system and from communities to recognize and celebrate the achievements of volunteers by actively engaging in the marking of IYV+10.

Volunteer action - inspiring millions of others

MEETING THE NEW UNV COORDINATOR FOR IYV+10: SIMONA COSTANZO

[At the recent General Assembly of the European Volunteer Centre in Valencia, Spain, IAVE executive director Kathi Dennis and other members of the IAVE family had the opportunity to meet Simona Costanzo, new UYV+10 Project Manager at United Nations Volunteers.  The following is drawn from an email that Simona shared with us, her self-introduction to her new colleagues at UNV.

All who met Simona came away feeling very positive about her background, experience and approach to her work.  On behalf of all IAVE members, we wish her a warm welcome and extend our enthusiasm about working with her in the months ahead.]

Personally I come with a strong civil society background: I have worked as the Director of CCIVS, a global NGO, coordinating international voluntary service with member and partner organisations in more than 100 countries. Working for CCIVS since 2000 I was physically based in UNESCO, which gave me a good insight into the programs and functioning of the agency. Among many other projects, I was also involved in a Civil Society Initiative with Team IYV during 2001 and beyond. During several years I have worked as a consultant and trainer for the Council of Europe and different international foundations and organisations focusing on issues such as community development, youth, cultural diversity and project development.

In terms of my personal background, I am Italian and German with close affinities to a number of other countries and languages. I am extremely pleased to remain in a fascinating cultural salad bowl with you. I have come to Bonn with my husband and two young daughters.

In terms of formal education I hold a PhD in Human Geography, which focused on issues related to migration. Regarding non formal education I have had the incredible chance to be involved in lots of volunteer initiatives at very different levels, which have provided me with a deep personal conviction about the importance and value of volunteering.

[Simona’s email address is simona.costanzo@unvolunteers.org.]

ARE YOU LISTENING?  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

ARE YOU LISTENING?  WE NEED YOUR HELP HERE!!!  THIS IS EASY TO DO – SO, DO IT!  NOW!!

IAVE is calling on volunteers worldwide to sign up in support of the tenth anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) in 2011. To build momentum for this important anniversary, we need you to add your voice to the call to make IVY+10 another landmark year for volunteering and to encourage others to do so. 

Here is all you need to do:

1.  Go to www.iave.org/iyv10 and sign the online statement of support for IYV+10.

2.  After you have signed on, use the “Tell A Friend” feature that comes up automatically to invite others to join as well.

3.  Help us build this into a true viral online campaign by forwarding the address www.iave.org/iyv10 to as many volunteers, volunteer-involving organizations, government agencies and others as you can find.  Urge them to “Sign On” as well.

 IAVE's IYV+10 CALENDAR

Here is how our calendar is shaping up for the lead-in to and celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers:

                         
NEWS FROM IAVE

FROM THE WORLD PRESIDENT

Dear Friends:

I am pleased to report to you on my work over the past weeks.

On March 13-14, I offered three invited lectures in Saudi Arabia on March 13-14.  Two lectures were given on the campus of the Faculty of Arts at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (Dammam).  The lectures addressed student volunteers and local volunteering organization staff with a theme of "Professional Management of Voluntary Work (Administration, Marketing, Planning & Training)" and faculty members for a topic of "How to Design a Service Learning Course.”   I also delivered a lecture on “The Third Wave of Corporate Volunteering” to Saudi ARAMCO CSR staff members on the next day.

The interests that audiences showed during these lectures in Saudi Arabia seemed to be a good sign that the wind of volunteering is beginning to blow in the desert as well. This lecture trip to Saudi Arabia also gave me good opportunities to promote the IAVE Arab Regional Volunteer Conference to be held in Lebanon in September.

As a consultant to Yeosu Expo 2010, I am encouraging the Yeosu Expo Organizing Committee to contract out a division of volunteering to Volunteering Korea (former the Korea Council of Volunteering), a national network of Korean volunteering organizations.

We were happy to host a visit from Kenn Allen and Sarah Hayes, members of the research team for the Global Corporate Volunteer Research Project in early March.  We arranged interview meetings in Seoul with Samsung, Hyundai, and SKtelecom for the Global Corporate Volunteering Research Project.  We also hosted a meeting with Korean NGOs, a volunteer center and a university professor  so that Kenn and Sarah could listen to their experiences and opinions on working with corporations and their volunteers.

I am continuing to work with Mr. Toshiyuki Aoki, President of JIVRI (Japan International Institute for Volunteering Research) in planning the East Asia Civil Society Forum in Beijing later this year. The first East Asia Civil Society Forum was held in Tokyo in  2009 and the third is planned for Seoul in 2011.. We are planning to have the second forum in Beijing, China later this year under the leadership of the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO).  The third will be held in 2011 in Seoul, hosted by the Korea Forum of Volunteerism.

Dr. Kang-Hyun Lee, World President

[Dr. Lee can be reached by email at iavepres@gmail.com.] 

UPDATE ON THE 2011 WORLD VOLUNTEER CONFERENCE: A Report from the IAVE planning team

The 21st IAVE World Volunteer Conference is now calling for submission of papers. Deadline is May 15. Please visit the conference website, www.iave2011.org, to download the submission template.

Confirmed speakers include representatives from the United Nations, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Toilet Organisation, UBS, UPS and many more. Singapore’s Senior Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, will present the opening address for the conference.

Registrations should begin in May 2010 and early birds are eligible for a discounted rate of US$400 instead of US$450 (IAVE members). Please visit the website for latest details.

PLANS FOR THE LATIN AMERICA CONFERENCE

[This article comes to us from Maria Teresa Gnecco. Regional Representative to the IAVE Board from Latin America.  For further information, write to her at mariatgnecco@gmail.com.]

September 27 to 29 is the date, and Bogotá is the city where the 5th IAVE Latin American Regional Volunteer Conference will take place.

An anticipated 400 volunteers will gather under the theme “Volunteering: Essence of Social Responsibility”.

They will come from different countries, with different backgrounds and especially with different experiences in volunteering but with one main objective: to meet to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers!!!  (IYV+10) 

It will be a unique opportunity to hear new and innovative programs in volunteering, to share with others of the region their own experiences and to enlarge and strength their volunteer net work.  But also it will be an experience to feel Latin American culture, mainly Colombian culture, with its lively music, customs, different climates, high mountains and landscapes.

The opening ceremony will be presided over by IAVE World President, Dr. Kang  Hyun Lee. Other personalities that will participate in the opening ceremony are government authorities, the Rector of Universidad Javeriana and NGO leaders.

A major area of discussion at the conference will be about corporate volunteering in Latin America.  We will be contributing to IAVE’s Global Corporate Volunteering Research Project and are pleased to welcome members of the project research team, Dr. Kenn Allen of the U.S. and Monica Galiano of Brazil.  The Organizing Committee and Luz Stella Alvarez, former IAVE Colombia National Representative, is working in building the Colombian Council of Corporate Volunteering with the objective that it will be inaugurated in the closing ceremony of the conference.
 
Wanda Engels, doctor in education from Brasil, will be among the major speakers at the conference.

The Organizing Committee of the conference is made up by Alicia de Garzón, National Representative of IAVE and President of IAVE Colombia; Daniel Buriticá, Youth Representative to the IAVE Board of Directors; Gohard Giraldo, Director of IAVE Colombia and Maria Teresa Gnecco, regional representative of Latin America on the IAVE Board of Directors.

The committee is working with five more committees in charge of different aspects, each one with its detailed planning. The plan of patronage is ready to help obtain economic support for the conference.

After the Conference a week later, October 8-9, the 2nd National Forum of Young Volunteers will take place organized by two Colombian universities, Universidad del Rosario and CESA and a large Colombian NGO, Colombia Presente.

IAVE Colombia has been invited to join the organizing committee and are in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the already established committee. The forum expects an audience of 1,000 young volunteers from different cities of Colombia. Between the week of the Regional Conference and the Youth Forum, a learning and service experience of will be offered, to young volunteers. This will be a reality if  we are able to find the  financial support to do it. The camp experience will be organized by RECOJO, the NGO directed by Daniel Buriticá.
 
As you see we are working hard to offer all Conference participants a memorable experience in Colombia.

 FROM IAVE MEMBERS

A REPORT FROM KENYA

[These two articles come to us from Agnetta Nyalita, Coordinator, National Volunteer Network Trust (NAVNET), an organizational member of IAVE in Kenya.  For more information on NAVNET visit www.navnet.or.ke email Agnetta Nyalita at agnetta@navnet.or.ke.]

LAUNCH OF BOOK ON BEST PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES FACING YOUTH PROJECTS IN KENYA

The youth are dynamic. They need Centers of Excellence to be effective players in the development of Kenya. Youth projects can be well managed, be run professionally and make the youth positive agents of change.

National Volunteer Network Trust (NAVNET), which is a hub of all forms of volunteering and a one stop link for opportunities for the youth, invited the media, Government, Volunteer Involving Organization (VIO) members, other Stakeholders working with and for the youth and youths too to cover and attend the Launch of the book “Best Practices and Challenges Facing Youth Projects” On April 1.

The book is based on research of youth projects with support from Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) and Strategic PR & Research Ltd (SPRR). 
The CEO of Strategic PR & Research Ltd, Mr. Caesar Handa was in attendance as well as the Executive Director (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports), Mr. Osman S. Abdi and his Deputy Ms, Margaret Mliwa, the grantors of the funds for the research, Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), Ms. Sonia Rasugu as well as  Kenyan youths from various parts of the country.

NAVNET conducted the research in 2008 on 169 youth projects in Kenya which are undertaking HIV and AIDS and Environment projects, in which it was established that many youth projects in Kenya face a host of challenges that include:

• Lack of managerial and leaderships skills to run youth projects;
• Lack of commitment of members in youth projects and accountability by management to members;
• General mistrust of youth by external funders/donors;
• Lack of adequate resources and external support for youth led projects;
• Lack of expertise to use communication facilities e.g. internet; and,
• Lack of skills in lobbying and advocacy. 

The findings also highlighted that there is great work being undertaken by select youth organisations in Kenya and other youths can learn from them and succeed too.

These findings tie closely with a key recommendation of a youth study conducted by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and UNICEF (Kenya, 2009) that every community should have a youth point (centre) for providing young people with training on development of income generation activities; entrepreneurship; and sexual and reproductive health.
The findings and recommendations in the book  ‘Best Practices and Challenges Facing Youth Projects’, are instrumental in designing relevant capacity building programs for youth organizations and provides a key to stimulating socio economic growth among the youth in Kenya.

PARTICIPATING IN GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY

Currently, NAVNET has partnered with Change rovers crew (the appointed national lead agency for GYSD in Kenya) to commemorate the Global Youth Service Day. The NAVNET youth club, a club composed of youths between 18 and 30 years has taken broad steps in commemorating the Global Youth Service Day by joining other youths in the noble course. In Kenya, youths drawn from different districts have come together for an 8 days’ community service activity from the 18^th April to 25^th April 2010 in Kiambu District, Central province of Kenya. The youths will be moving from one town to other planting trees, sensitizing the community on environment and Health & HIV/AIDS. We shall give an update of the same event once done.

A NOTE FROM NEW ZEALAND

We were very pleased to be able to include several stories from Volunteering New Zealand’s e-newsletter in our last issue.  Now, Tim Burns, their executive director, has written to tell us that their newsletter is now in the hands of Branka Cicak, Communications Officer.  Before going to New Zealand, Branka worked at the European Volunteer Centre.  Thanks, Tim, for letting us know – and congratulations, Branka, on your good work.

A POEM FROM NIGERIA

IAVE member Chinenye Atuma from Nigeria sent us this poem which she wrote and presented during the Valentine’s Day program organized by IAVE Nigeria youth.

FIGHT THE FRIGHT  

When confronted with a fight
And you are gripped with fright

Turn to the word for light
To illuminate your sight

When you increase in might
And chase away the night

The enemy is put to flight
For he dreads the slight

Then shall your future be bright

FROM THE GLOBAL VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY

VOLUNTEER WORK AS A VALUABLE LEISURE-TIME ACTIVITY

[This article came to us via the e-newsletter of the European Volunteer Centre.]

A recent study by researchers from the University of Konstanz (Germany) has found that volunteering can offer mental health benefits and can help people to perform better in regular paid jobs. The study involved 105 full-time employees active in volunteering after work, who were asked to complete regular questionnaires over a two-week time period. According to Dr. Eva J. Mojza from the University of Konstanz, the study supports the hypothesis that even stressful leisure time experience, e.g. volunteering for a fire brigade, can bring benefits to the workplace and to psychological development.

The study, "Volunteer Work as a Valuable Leisure-Time Activity", was published online in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.

VOLUNTEERING UP AMONG AMERICANS IN 2009

A million and a half more Americans volunteered to help with such activities as raising money, collecting food and tutoring children during the span of a year ending in September 2009, a period marked by job losses and a lousy economy.

About 63.4 million people ages 16 and older volunteered at least once between September 2008 and September 2009, according to recently released report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That's about a 1.6 million increase compared with the 61.8 million people who helped their communities in 2008, but not as many as the 65.4 million who lent a hand in 2005. A little more than one in four Americans volunteer, the report showed.

The number of hours that people spent volunteering with their churches, hospitals and other organizations varied depending on their age. Volunteers aged 65 and older typically worked about 90 hours during the year, while those 25 to 34 years old typically volunteered 36 hours annually.

Perhaps not surprising, the majority of the increase in the number of volunteers came from those who were employed part time.

The BLS and the Census Bureau collected the data for the report in partnership with the government-run community service corporation, which administers volunteer programs including Senior Corps and AmeriCorps. 

RESOURCES YOU CAN USE TODAY

Writing a Funding Proposal

[This publication can be downloaded from the CIVICUS web site – www.civicus.org.]

This toolkit deals with planning and researching a funding proposal before you write it; how to write the proposal; and the follow-up required once it is written and sent off. There is also an example of a funding proposal to guide you. You will find advice on what you need to know about donors, and what you need to know about your own project or organisation before you write a funding proposal.

You will also find guidelines on what to put into your proposal and how to write it, and references to other CIVICUS toolkits that can help you.