October 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

FROM THE EDITOR

NEWS FROM IAVE
 •  Congratulations to Newly Elected IAVE Board Members
 •  Updates on the World Conference
 •  Celebrating IAVE’s Birthday

IYV+10…The Countdown Continues
 •  IAVE’s IYV+10 Calendar

FROM IAVE MEMBERS
 •  "A Second Career for a Third Age” by Esther Herlitz

FROM THE EDITOR

Hi. Our apologies but this month’s E-IAVE is a bit shorter than usual. But why, you cry in alarm! Well…

•  There is a lot going on in the editor’s life so I haven’t had the time to dig up as much news.

•  I have heard from NO ONE this past month in response to repeated calls for info on your UYV+10 plans or, for that matter, on anything else you would like to share.

Hopefully both of those conditions will change in the next few weeks!

Thanks!

-- Kenn Allen

PS – We are VERY grateful to Esther Herlitz in Israel for the excellent article on volunteering in the “third age” which is our feature presentation this month.  Esther became an IAVE member when she served as chair of the Israel Volunteer Council which hosted a regional IAVE conference in 1989 under the leadership of then board member Sara Meltzer.

Esther writes about something that does not often make its way on to our agenda – the engagement of people in the “third age” of life as volunteers.  Her perspective is interesting and thought-provoking: “The third age needs a second career.”

NEWS FROM IAVE

CONGRATULATIONS TO NEWLY ELECTED IAVE BOARD MEMBERS

We are pleased to announce the results of this year’s board of directors election.

Kylee Bates, Australia, has been elected Vice-President.

Amelita Go, Philippines, has been re-elected Regional Representative from Asia-Pacific.

Indira Dasgupta, India, has been elected to a first term as Regional Representative from Asia-Pacific.

Eugen Baldas, Germany, has been elected to a first term as Regional Representative from Europe.

They join Dacil Acevedo, Panama, and David Styers, U.S., confirmed by the board in July as elected by virtue of being unopposed as Regional Representative for Latin America and Regional Representative for North America, respectively.

In his letters to all candidates in which he announced the results, Mark Molloy, chair of the Nominating Committee, wrote, “We want to add our deep appreciation for your willingness to stand for election.  It is only when people are willing to put themselves forward for leadership roles that an organization remains healthy and effective.”

The terms of the newly elected board members will officially begin with the board meeting in Singapore, January 20-23, just before the World Conference.

UPDATES ON THE WORLD CONFERENCE

October 31 is the deadline for “early bird” registrations.  The “early bird” period offers significant savings – 10%+ for individuals – over the normal cost.  If you are planning to come to Singapore, be sure to take advantage of this at www.iave2011.org.

The Conference Program is now online at www.iave2011.org/wvc/programme.php. 

Hotel Information will be found at www.iave2011.org/hotels&travel/accommodation.php. It includes information on three hotels that are at the conference venue and seven outside the venue, including two lower cost YMCA-run facilities.  For those outside the venue, the travel time to the conference is shown as 10-20 minutes with detailed information on transportation options for each hotel.  In addition, the conference will be running free chartered buses for delegates staying at the listed offsite hotels.

CELEBRATING IAVE’S BIRTHDAY

The Singapore Conference will mark IAVE’s 40th Birthday!!  Hooray for us!!

If you have special memories of IAVE – world or regional conferences, friends made, lessons learned, knowledge gained, fun times, etc. – that you would like to share, please send them to kenn@civilsocietyconsulting.com.  They will be shared here in E-IAVE, on the website and in some way at the conference itself.

We are specially interested in any photos that you would like to share as we are planning some kind of visual presentation at one of the conference plenaries and then on the website.

IYV+10…THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
 
ONLY 70 DAYS TO GO!  And things are really starting to happen.  Check it out here.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR IYV+10?  Please tell us your plans so we can share them with others through E-IAVE.  Just email to membership@iave.org.

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:

FROM IAVE MEMBERS

A SECOND CAREER FOR THE THIRD AGE

By Esther Herlitz, IAVE Member in Israel

[Esther Herlitz is the founder of the Israel Volunteer Council (in 1972), a member of IAVE, a former member of Israel's Parliament and a former Ambassador.]

We live in a changing world. Mozart died at the age of 37. Life expectancy in the 21st century has undergone revolutionary change. People live longer in most of the world, especially in the so-called developed countries. Take a look at, for instance, how long people will live in Japan, Canada, Singapore, Sweden and Israel - 81.1 years. In Jordan, USA, UK, they will reach an average of 78 years. In India, life expectancy is 66 while, unfortunately, in Zambia and Angola, the average citizen reaches only 38.2 years. People retire today in their sixties and still have almost twenty years to live with their experience skills and knowledge. What a waste.

We have to re-think. The traditional wise and respected old man in the traditional extended family, exists no more in modern society. The traditional woman volunteer with free time and nothing to do is no longer; she has joined the work force. At the same time, the need for volunteers has increased, budgets and manpower for the services today’s citizens expect are insufficient all over the world.

We can find the new type of volunteer among the senior citizens, men and women, with skills, know-how, experience, and above all, free time. They need a reason to get up in the morning and lead a useful life. We need them.

The third age needs a second career.

Tasks for senior volunteers are numerous. Children have difficulties learning, parents are busy, classes are crowded, volunteer tutors and teachers aids can make a difference. A study by Tel Aviv University concerning school children in a low income neighborhood who had voluntary tutors indicate that they did better, not only in their studies but also remarkably better in their behavior.

Seniors can act as foster parents, big brothers, companions to elderly and disabled, be of help to single parent families, as "grandpas" in nursery schools, volunteers in Citizens' Advisory Bureaus, aids in hospitals and emergency wards, auxiliary traffic police at school crossings. The list is still long. In a Senior Citizens' Residence built on the grounds of a teachers college in Boston, USA, residents help students while students help seniors with their computers. Senior citizens may be good candidates also for the Peace Corps the world over.

Senior citizens look for meaningful opportunities to continue their lives. We must look for them, place and guide them. An Israeli study showed that  20% of the population volunteer, another 20% want to volunteer and do not know where.

The "SECOND CAREER VOLUNTEERS" will help not only the needy but first and foremost themselves.

Studies by the City of New York showed that senior volunteers suffer from fewer diseases and consequently live longer than those who stay at home. The study proves that volunteering helps the elderly from becoming frail, since they keep body and mind active. A recent study be Cambridge University produced the same results.

IAVE has put much successful efforts on young volunteers. Let us open another channel and put emphasis on the ever growing numbers of senior citizens in the world, who can be a great asset both to society and to themselves, by engaging them in a Second Career in the service of the community.

As volunteers, our extended lives can be a blessing to ourselves and society.

What Do You Think?
We would love to hear your reactions to this article.  Please send them to kenn@civilsocietyconsulting.com for inclusion in a future issue.  This is an important issue for the global volunteer community and for IAVE – please weigh in with your thoughts.

If you would like to write directly to Esther, her email is estherh1@012.net.il.