A message to our global community
By now, many of you have learned the results of the U.S. presidential election.
While it’s just one nation, there are global implications to this outcome that may challenge our collective progress around environmental protection, equity, inclusion and justice, and the basic idea of a government by the people and for the people. Moreover, it may challenge the belief and optimism we hold as volunteers in our ability to create a world that is better than the one we see around us.
I am someone who believes there is always more than one way forward and I believe that’s the case here as well. Sometimes, you simply have to get to the very end of the road before you can begin to make your way forward again.
Already I have been on several calls about learning the important lessons from this election on how we can create a new movement, one built on inclusivity; a movement that will allow us to roar back against the disinformation and misinformation that divides and deludes us and makes enemies where we should find friends.
We know volunteering is a powerful tool to show the truth and reality of the world. When we volunteer, we meet people from all walks of life. We hear and see the complexity of broken systems. And we learn to join with others—even those we may otherwise disagree with—and work together to find solutions to the pressing problems we face.
It’s not over yet and we have lots of good trouble* to get into ahead.
If this result has shocked you, and left you feeling like the work you do doesn’t matter, please consider this quote from the Talmud which has always brought me comfort in times when I feel like giving up:
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Any one of us isn’t responsible for fixing the issues we face, but we do have to keep trying.
In solidarity,
Nichole Cirillo
IAVE Executive Director
One concrete response: In advance of the United Nations’ International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IYV) in 2026, IAVE is hosting a series of Global Dialogues to encourage a wide set of conversations about volunteering that will inform and inspire what happens during IYV 2026 and beyond. This is a call to action to deliver greater recognition for and investment in volunteering,