Various companies send individuals or teams of skilled volunteers across national borders, particularly into the global South, to support communities and NGOs while giving an impact of solidarity.
In the session we discussed experiences coming from three examples.
The presenters mentioned the following challenges:
Presentations and the discussion highlighted the following key aspects for success:
Experiences in getting a successful grogram:
Prepared by Eugen Baldas, Moderator
DIANA MOLINA leads the international partnerships within the International Department of “la Caixa” Banking Foundation. She has been responsible for different programs within the institution from public sensitization and awareness to capacity building for health professionals and entrepreneurs in Africa, always focusing on contributing to improve the lives of the most vulnerable.
SABINA BALMER is the Founder of B360 education partnerships, which offers companies and private persons the opportunity to participate in an education and ‘cross border volunteering’ project. Prior to founding B360, Sabina worked for Credit Suisse for thirteen years. During the last three years at Credit Suisse she was the Chief Operating Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management in Switzerland.
MICHAEL EVASON is a Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs manager for IBM, covering around 30 highly varied markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. His major focus is on Corporate Volunteering, including all aspects of employee volunteering, community engagement and pro bono technology engagements with NGOs and government organizations.
EUGEN BALDAS is Vice President and the Regional Representative (Europe) for the International Association for Volunteer Effort. Eugen served as the head of the Germany Caritas Association’s Volunteer Sector, which currently has a network of 60 volunteer centers. Eugen is also the Chair of the international “BeSo” association (Begegnung und Solidarität e.V.), organizing full-time voluntary service overseas.