Speech by Marcus Held at the 20th IAVE World Volunteer Conference, Panama 2008

From the "Volunteering for Solidarity and Equality" plenary on Friday, April 4, 2008
In Europe we have 68m in poverty, 19m children on the threshold of poverty, 3m homeless, 10m Roma people who do not enjoy basic human rights. Being disabled of different in other ways still means you suffer discrimination.

Despite the problems 1-in-3 people in Europe volunteer, making 100m people. since 1998 we have the youth in action program where 100,000 people are sent all over Europe and now the world. In the event of natural and manmade disasters volunteers are called upon to help. Since 2007 the EU has recognized volunteering as an indicator of active citizenship and the added value of networks like CEV.

This also shows a dilemma we face. Policy maker discover volunteers when there is a problem, and look at volunteers as a solution to challenges that we face in multicultural societies. The universal values of volunteering as well as being a strength is also a threat because volunteering is viewed as a means to something.

That’s why I have a problem with the topic. I don’t think volunteering leads to solidarity. It is not a means to something, it has its own intrinsic value. Volunteering and solidarity are two sides of the same coin.

I think volunteer organizations have to be very careful not to follow policy makers who want to promote volunteering as a means to something, but promote volunteering for itself.

Talking about volunteering "for" socially excluded people. Blind people, the homeless, ex-offenders can also be actors too. Although this takes effort on behalf of volunteer organizations. But the volunteer movement has the duty to create equal opportunities for all.

A motto from Christopher Spence says the, “the stakes are high, and we cannot afford not to succeed.”