Sunday, the 5th of December was the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development – a day set aside to celebrate the global impact of volunteerism; to celebrate the wonderful and priceless work that volunteers do. The International Volunteer Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 17, 1985. Since then, governments, the UN System and Civil Society Organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the day on December 5th.
International Volunteer Day offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contribution – at local, national & international levels- to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
WHAT IS VOLUNTEERISM?
Volunteerism may be defined as contributing one's time or talents for charitable, educational, social, political, or other worthwhile purposes, usually in one's community, freely and without regard for compensation.
In general terms, volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving.
Volunteering takes many forms and is performed by a wide range of people. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work in, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Other volunteers serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster or for a beach-cleanup.
In a military context, a volunteer army is an army whose soldiers chose to enter service, as opposed to having been conscripted. Such volunteers do not work for free and are given regular pay.
VOLUNTEERING AROUND THE WORLD
Since the seventeenth century, Americans have shaped their nation by their voluntary efforts: providing services, organizing political action, caring for the poor, reaching out to the disadvantaged, providing education, ensuring equality and civil rights for all citizens, and working for change.
Too numerous to count, American voluntary efforts have served many purposes. For example, thousands of Americans have contributed their resources to achieve political ends, providing invaluable service in times of war. During the Revolution men formed committees of correspondence to keep the colonies in constant contact; joinedMilitias, like the Minutemen of Concord, to fight the British army; and organized the Boston Tea Party, a raid on ships in Boston Harbor, during which crates of expensive tea were thrown overboard to protest taxes imposed by the crown. At the same time, women used their economic power to boycott luxury items and cloth imported from Britain, producing their own goods for their family's needs. During the Revolution and later wars, women visited hospitals and prisons, rolled bandages, organized food drives, nursed soldiers, and sometimes worked as spies. In the nineteenth century, African Americans and white Americans undertook the dangerous task of moving escaped slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Children volunteered also, contributing their pennies and participating in drives to conserve food, clothing, and other resources. Americans continue to volunteer for political purposes by joining the military, working for political parties at elections, participating in voting drives, organizing block associations, protesting, marching, lobbying, and raising funds.
The French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville noted in his travels to the United States in the early 1800s, “Americans, unlike Europeans, build community organisations to deal with their problems”. He noted that part of the genius of America has been their ability to form grassroots groups to solve problems. This science and art helped in producing the greatest nation on the earth today.
THEN ROLE OF VOLUNTEERISM IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Volunteerism is an important component of any strategy aimed at poverty reduction, sustainable development and social integration, in particular overcoming social exclusion and discrimination.
The social capital generated by volunteering plays a key role in economic regeneration[citation needed]. Where poverty is endemic to an area, poor communities lack friends and neighbors able to help. Thus, voluntary mutual aid or self-help is an important safety net. This model works well within a state because there is a national solidarity in times of adversity and more prosperous groups will usually make sacrifices for the benefit of those in need.
HOW CAN YOU VOLUNTEER & HOW CAN VOLUNTEERISM BENEFIT YOU?
There are countless opportunities for you to join the GLOBAL VOLUNTEERING FORCE that is shaping and changing the world. You can start today, from wherever you are by giving in little ways – either to support the poor, contribute to uplifting your community or even helping others in achieving their dreams.
You can volunteer your time to teach kids or mentor young people. You can visit sick people in the hospital. You can work independently and through organizations that coordinate other volunteers to help provide healthcare, accessible public transportation, and decent schools and to support urban revitalization, public information, recycling, environmental protection, religious missions, and charities, among many other efforts.
The benefits to you include:
- · Learning or developing a new skill
- · Being part of your community
- · Motivation and sense of achievement
“It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.”
- · New experiences
- · Meeting a diverse range of people
- · Sending a signal to your employer, teachers, friends and family…
Volunteering reflects and supports a complete picture of you, and gives real examples of your commitment, dedication and interests.
- · Boosting your career options
A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses
- 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without
- 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills
- 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted
Also, if you are thinking of a career change then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new fields, new interests and hobbies
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