September 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

FROM THE EDITOR

BULLETIN: EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION PERIOD FOR WORLD CONFERENCE EXTENDED

NEWS FROM IAVE
 •  An Early Report from the Latin American Regional Conference
 •  IAVE Launches IYV+10 Video Contest
 •  From the World President
 •  IAVE Joins IBM’s Service Jam as a Premier Partner

IYV+10…The Countdown Continues
 •  UNV Resources for IYV+10
 •  Country Plans for IYV+10
 •  IAVE’s IYV+10 Calendar

IAVE MEMBERS
 •  In Memoriam
 •  In Memory
 •  In Welcome
 •  In Celebration
 •  In Error

FROM THE EDITOR

Anniversaries – IAVE’s 40th is coming up – are times for memories.  Check out the “IAVE Members” section this month.

-- Kenn Allen

BULLETIN: EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION PERIOD FOR WORLD CONFERENCE EXTENDED

Laurence Lien, CEO of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre in Singapore, host of the 2011 World Volunteer Conference, has announced that the “Early Bird” discounted registration period has been extended to October 31, 2010.  This will allow even more IAVE members to plan to attend this kick-off event for IYV+10.

For more details on the conference and to register, go to www.iave2011.org.

NEWS FROM IAVE

AN EARLY REPORT FROM THE IAVE LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE

The first IAVE Latin American Regional Conference in 10 years concluded on Wednesday, September 29.  Some 270 people from throughout the region and North America participated.  There was a special focus on youth engagement and on corporate volunteering.  Plans were made for a next regional conference in Ecuador in 2013.  Look for a more complete report in next month’s E-IAVE.

IAVE LAUNCHES IYV+10 VIDEO CONTEST

We are pleased to share this announcement from IAVE’s International Resource Center.  After reading it, you are sure to want to participate.  You can go to http://www.iave.org/video to find information on how to enter, judging criteria, contest rules, to register and even to watch a sample video and other entries.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV +10), we are inviting volunteers and volunteer-involving organization to submit creative short (30-60 second) videos showing their visions for how to make the world a better place through volunteering.

The year 2011 will be the tenth anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers. Known as “IYV+10” the anniversary should be another important milestone in the development of global volunteering, and the international volunteer movement.

In the decade since the United Nations launched the International Year of Volunteers in 2001, at the global level, there have been a number of important advancements in the field of volunteerism: every one of the billions of people, who gives up their time to volunteer, becomes part of a grand movement that is much bigger than the sum of the parts.

To celebrate IYV+10, we are calling on young volunteers, or young volunteer teams, to create short films that advertise the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers. Your video can show your volunteer work, your motivations for volunteering, your hopes and visions for 2011, it can inspire other people to volunteer, or any number of other things.

FROM THE WORLD PRESIDENT

International Development and Volunteering

In September, IAVE will participate in two important international meetings: one is UN DESA annual meeting to be held in Australia, the other is Clinton Global Initiatives. Kylee Bates the Asia-Pacific regional representative will represent IAVE, while in the latter event our executive director Kathi Dennis will represent IAVE. In both meetings, social development is an important agenda. I hope our representatives make strong voices of volunteering field that volunteering is the essential elements of social development.

Recently, there were two international forums on ODA held in Seoul Korea. All speakers including UN and Korean government officials talked about that aids should be improved effectiveness by extending their scope down to community level. They also recognized the importance of volunteering which produce synergistic effect on local development. I made two suggestions at the meetings. First, ODA agencies should create infrastructure to make civil society help themselves. For example, they can help community have their own Volunteer Centers and other types of community organization. Or through other ways promoting volunteerism, communities in poor countries can get more supports to build and empower their civil society. For this, we need more creative and innovative ideas.

Second, ODA agencies, working with NGOs, should transfer skills and knowledge of volunteer management to southern countries. Social infrastructure supporting volunteering in each community is not enough. It is necessary for a community to have knowledge and skills about how to manage the infrastructure. Developed countries, including Korea which is the only country turned from aid recipient to aid providing country in UN history, have accumulated experiences developing and maintaining civil society by their own efforts. ODA agencies may cooperate with IAVE or other well known volunteer organizations to help recipient countries manage Volunteer Centers and Community Centers efficiently and effectively through education or training programs.  So far, I have not heard that any country is committed to allocate ODA fund for establishment of volunteer infrastructures.

We have to think about how to bring out “ownership” of recipient countries. The most effective way would be making an appropriate infrastructure for them to practice their ownership by themselves. And we have to support all necessary skills and knowledge for that. Volunteering is very critical factor to mobilize a civil society. Without voluntary participation of a civil society and social infrastructure making it possible, any international development would not be viable.

Development work is never easy. It would take time till we see a tangible difference in effectiveness even when the principles are in good exercises. It will be done for generations so that we need to be tremendously patient with slow or zero development in aid recipient countries, as long as we are doing something good. It is essential to creating a world in which more people in more places have the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential, a world that is more equitable, democratic, prosperous, and peaceful.

Dr. Kang-Hyun Lee
World President

Comments?
If you would like to comment to Dr. Lee on his article or learn more, you may write to him at iavepres@gmail.com.

IAVE JOINS IBM’S SERVICE JAM AS A PREMIER PARTNER

[Thanks to Sarah Hayes, IAVE’s consultant director of the Global Corporate Volunteer Council, for this article and for having built our relationship with IBM.]

IAVE has been invited to be a Premier Partner for an online dialogue called Service Jam, which poses topics around the theme “Service as a Solution”. This event will be held October 10-12, 2010, and will engage non-profit organizations, corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies in a discussion on how social innovation can help solve our world’s largest problems.

IBM hopes to engage prominent leaders, professionals, and passionate individuals in the Jam to generate breakthrough ideas that will redefine service and social innovation. Registered participants have the flexibility to log into the Jam from anywhere in the world at anytime during the three days.

During the Jam, invited Hosts—distinguished leaders in the social sector—will be leading specific discussion forums, as well as conversing live with participants. Topics that will be highlighted during the Jam include:

•  Quantum Leaps in Service - Groundbreaking innovations fueling the service movement
•  The Digital Revolution in Service - Transforming the service sector through technology
•  Empowering the Individual - Personalizing civic engagement for the individual
•  Increasing Value and Impact of Service - Maximizing resources within an organization
•  Scaling Impact - Replicating effective solutions to broaden social impact
•  Measuring social Impact - Maximizing and sustaining change through metrics
•  Progress through Collaboration - Building cross-sector partnerships critical to success
•  Global Changes, Local Action - Customizing solutions to solve world issues

The Jam will continue non-stop throughout the three days, and participants can enter at any time and offer their thoughts and ideas, as well as learn from others. Following the Jam, IBM in collaboration with key partners will produce a white paper summarizing key findings and highlighting creative ideas to share with participants. This document will reveal key trends in social innovation and will serve as a pragmatic guide to help organizations innovate, design and improve service programs.

This is an opportunity for IAVE to lend its experiential voice to an important current discussion. IAVE National Representatives, Board Members and GCVC Members will receive an invitation to join the Service Jam – but it is open for anyone with an interest to participate! IAVE members around the world are encouraged to go to www.ibm.com/servicejam and request an invitation.

As IAVE members everywhere know, volunteering and service can indeed change the world! Lend your voice and join The Jam!!

IYV+10…THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
 
ONLY 92 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.

UNV RESOURCES TO SUPPORT IYV+10

United Nations Volunteers has made available a set of resources to assist in the celebration of IYV+10.

Logo

The official UN logo for UYV+10 can be downloaded at
http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/iyv-10/resources/doc/the-iyv-10-logo-is.html.  It is available in the UN’s six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Brochure

The brochure for IYV+10 may be used by stakeholders to promote the year to members and partners. It provides background information on IYV+10, objectives of the year and brief descriptions of some of the ways in which individuals and organizations can get involved in marking IYV+10.  It can be downloaded at http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/iyv-10/doc/iyv-10-brochure.html.

PowerPoint Presentations

There are created two PowerPoint presentation that can be used to inform and inspire members and partners about IYV+10. They give background information on the original IYV and IYV+10, outlines objectives of the year, and highlights actions which UNV will undertake and facilitate together with its partners at a global and national level to mark the year.  They also list tools that can be used by all entities interested in marking the year, and names some of the events that will take place around the globe.  They can be downloaded at http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/iyv-10/doc/ivy-10-powerpoint-presentations.html.

COUNTRY PLANS FOR IYV+10

We continue here our reports on what IAVE members and their organizations are planning for IYV+10. We would like to include YOURS. Send them in an email to membership@iave.org for the next issue.

Hong Kong

(From Flora Chung, IAVE National Representative for Hong Kong and CEO of the Agency for Volunteer Service)

The Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) will host a Symposium entitled "Volunteering towards Community Building in a Maturing Society in Hong Kong" on 7 December 2010, to herald the IYV+10.  

The Symposium is part of the Study Project on Volunteering towards Community Building in Hong Kong.  Following the survey research on volunteering in Hong Kong conducted in late 2009 in partnership with The University of Hong Kong, it will review the status of and the way forward for volunteering in Hong Kong, and seek to identify the challenges and opportunities in promoting volunteering and explore the strategies and roles of different stakeholders in future development.  
Overseas and local experts and professionals specialized in volunteering will be invited to speak and it is expected that 200 policy makers, volunteers and volunteers administrators from different sectors will attend.
 
Initiated by AVS, a Steering Committee on IYV+10 comprising of organizations from the government, business, professional, community, religious, education and social service sectors will be formed to give leadership and to propose policies and strategies to promote the IYV+10 in Hong Kong.
 
Most excitingly, The Hongkong Post, in response to a proposal from AVS, has  announced the issue of special stamps on "volunteerism" on March 29, 2011 to mark the IYV+10.

Japan

(From Akiko Seto, IAVE National Representative for Japan and President of IAVE Japan.  She can be reached by email at office@iavejapan.org.)

In Japan, NNOPV (National Network of Organizations Promoting Volunteerism) started discussion to take initiative for IYV+10 celebration in Japan. In addition to the following annual plan, that was approved at the general meeting for the year 2010 - 2011, NNOPV will expand its capacity organizationally and financially to make the year 2011 meaningful.

1) External and Campaign Effort and Activities for volunteer promotion commemorating IYV+10 / Conduct symposium and workshop
2) Submission of Proposals toward IYV+10
3) Nationwide Volunteer Festival in November, 2011 in Tokyo
4) International Volunteer Day Event on December 5th, 2010 & 2011

NNOPV was established in June, 1994 for the purpose of volunteer promotion, recognition, facilitation and networking in Japan.  It currently consists of 56 members, who are national level of volunteer organizations, school & social education, youth organizations, business & commerce groups, labor groups, social work organizations affiliated with mass media.

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:

IAVE MEMBERS

In Memoriam

We are sorry to report the death of Eleanor Schweppe, a former member of the IAVE Board of Directors, on August 22 in Seattle, Washington.  She had celebrated her 90th birthday just a month earlier.

We learned of her death from her daughter, Eleanor Baxendale.  She writes:

“She had just moved here [Seattle] from Florida to be closer to family.  She died unexpectedly of a heart attack in her sleep.

“As you know, IAVE was very important to my mother, and she deeply believed that volunteering and voluntary organizations play a critical part of social policy making.  Indeed, that belief motivated her whole life as a volunteer and as a professional.  And she also very much enjoyed the opportunity to work with others around the world through IAVE.

“Your organization and the friends she made through it were a very special part of my mother’s life.”

If you wish to extend your condolence’s to Eleanor’s family you may email her daughter at Richard@Baxendale.com.

In Memory

Over the past five weeks, it has been my great privilege to reconnect in personal meetings with two of the most important members in IAVE’s history.

In August, when I was in Bogota, Colombia, helping IAVE Colombia with the development of its new Corporate Volunteer Council, I had a delightful visit with Olga Mallarino Pizano who served as IAVE’s World President from 1982 to 1988 and hosted the World Conference in Bogota in 1984.  Olga was the first president from outside North America.  She played a key role in broadening the leadership so that it truly was global and in leading the transition from the era when virtually all IAVE members were individuals to today’s healthy mix of individuals and organizations.  She remains a vital, energetic person.  It was wonderful to see her again.

In September, Kathi Dennis and I were in Northern California on non-IAVE business (well, we were escorting a study group from Beijing, China, if you must know) but took advantage of it to visit with Mary Ripley, IAVE’s founding president.  Mary is now 95 years old but has lost none of her energy, none of her vigorous engagement with today’s issues – get her going on U.S. politics and stand back! – both domestic and international.  She expressed great frustration at not being able to travel internationally any longer – and that led us to reminisce about our trip together to Dhaka, Bangladesh just before the IAVE Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in New Delhi in 2001.

I will confess that it is difficult for me to accept that, as far as I can tell, I am the fourth longest continuous current member of IAVE after Mary, Olga and Jacqueline Couste in France.  But I am so much younger than they are!  

Watch for more soon about IAVE’s upcoming 40th anniversary!!

Kenn Allen (Your Editor)

In Welcome

A new member, Grace Aguiling-Dalisay, Professor of Psychology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, has written to ask if we can help her in contacting IAVE members who are psychologists. She writes, “Two colleagues and I wrote a book on cultural values, psychology and volunteering in the Philippines some years back  and I would like to connect with those who are interested in the area.”  She may be reached at grace_a_d@yahoo.com.

In Celebration

Many of you know Jeff Hoffman who has been an active participant in IAVE conferences and other activities for a number of years as representative of the Disney company.  After 30 years with Disney, he has gone out on his own, forming Jeff Hoffman & Associates, Global Philanthropy and Civic Engagement, a consulting firm dedicated “to helping businesses, organizations and individuals be problem solvers and part of the solution to create a better and healthier world.”  Jeff will be working with clients worldwide to devise strategies and creative approaches to philanthropic investments.  Learn more at http://www.jeffhoffmanassociates.com/. 

Good luck, Jeff!

In Error

It has been pointed out to us that there was an error in the last issue of E-IAVE when it was stated that the engagement of a professional facilitator to assist the IAVE board in its strategic planning was the first time that had been done.  In fact, during Liz Burns’ term as World President, external consultant Foster Murphy from London played the same role.  It was a bit different in that he also was and is a long-time member, but, still…our apologies to Foster!