IAVE World Volunteer Conference 2008: Forum on the Role of Government

Friday 4 April 2008, 10.30am - 4.15pm in the Topacio Room in the Hotel El Panama, Panama City.

The relationship between the world of government and the world of volunteering is complex and varied. Volunteering is recognised as a means of helping to achieve a wide range of government aims from the global commitment to the MDG’s to local community development aims. The way in which government sees its role and the steps it takes to implement it are very important.

The Forum, jointly planned and presented by IAVE and United Nations Volunteers, will highlight different aspects of the government role: setting a policy and legislative framework; government service and volunteering programmes; infrastructure development; relationships with volunteering organisations and civil society. It will draw on experience and case studies from a range of countries and from international, regional national and local levels. It will include opportunities for information exchange, in-depth discussion, shared learning and peer support.  

On the following day, 5 April, there will be an opportunity to meet with presenters and participants from the parallel Forum on Research in Volunteering in order to explore the links between research, policy and practice and how they might be strengthened, and to identify gaps in current research and how they might be filled.

The Forum will be in two parts, with a break for lunch. Each working session will offer a panel of speakers, followed by questions and discussion.

Outline Programme:

10.30 - 12.00 Setting a Policy and Legislation Framework 

•  Robert Leigh, United Nations Volunteers
•  Mahamane Baby, UNDP, Niger.
•  Ignasi Donate I Sanglas, Government of Catalonia
•  Kim Jin-Soo, Government of Korea
• Tan Chee Koon, NVPC and a representative, Government of Singapore

12.00 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 16.15 Government Volunteering Programmes and Infrastructure Development 

• Charmagne Campbell-Patton, Innovations in Civic Participation
• Markus Held, European Volunteer Centre
• Vladimir Potanin, Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
• Kumi Naidoo, Civicus (pictured)
• Clarissa Nunez, Government of Honduras and Jessica Jannson, UNDP, Honduras.