Volunteerism: Avenue for Social Transformation

Dear Madame Chairperson
Dear Mr. Secretary General
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you all for this conference, in which we will explore volunteerism as an avenue for social transformation. We also mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteerism, which was celebrated last year. Before we begin, I would like to thank the UNOG Library, as well as the Perm Center of Volunteerism and the Vector of Friendship, for organizing this interesting event.

Dear Colleagues:
An ethic of volunteerism exists in every society in the world, albeit in different forms. It is based on universal values - solidarity, social inclusion, empowerment, mutual respect and individual and societal well-being. These values are supported by the United Nations Charter, and form part of the UN’s work around the world for peace, development, human rights and security.

Through volunteering, people feel that they matter to others and that they have a role to play in communities, and in the world. They develop relationships and enhance their own sense of well-being as well as that of the community they serve. Since 2001, wide-ranging research has added greatly to the understanding of volunteerism. Though there is no agreed methodology for measuring the extent of voluntary engagement, most studies attest to the universality of volunteerism - its universal spread, massive scale and impact.

Today, millions of volunteers all over the world over engage in volunteerism for a wide variety of reasons: to help to eliminate poverty and to improve basic health and education, to provide a safe water supply and adequate sanitation, to tackle environmental issues and climate change, to reduce the risk of disasters and to combat social exclusion and violent conflict. In all of these areas, volunteerism contributes to peace and sustainable development by supporting the well-being of communities. There is mounting evidence that volunteer engagement promotes the civic values and social cohesion which mitigate violent conflict at all stages. By contributing to building trust, volunteer action diminishes the tensions that give rise to conflict and can also contribute to conflict resolution. It can also create common purpose in the aftermath of war and foster reconciliation.

Volunteerism is also important in an organizational sense, as it forms the backbone of many national and international non-governmental organizations and other civil society organizations, as well as social and political movements. It is present in the public sector and is increasingly a feature of the private sector.

Engagement may take many forms - volunteering organizations, individuals working on their own in their communities, and service with the UN and our partners, such as UN Volunteers or with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Every year, UNV alone directly mobilizes more than 7,700 UN Volunteers nationally and internationally, with 80 per cent of the volunteers coming from developing countries, and more than 30 per cent volunteering within their own countries. Today, as the Rio plus 20 Conference begins, I am pleased to report that 1,200 young volunteers trained by UNV and the Government of Brazil are playing an invaluable role in assisting with the organization and running of the Conference.

In this globalized world, young people are becoming more empowered and more connected. For them, volunteerism offers valuable opportunities, including direct engagement and leadership in developing peaceful and inclusive societies. At the same time, volunteering allows youth to acquire skills, build their capacities and increase their employability – something increasingly important today given rising youth unemployment figures. The spread of new technologies has given rise to increased opportunities and flexibility for young people to volunteer, for example through online volunteering. The Internet facilitates volunteerism by matching the interests of people who seek to volunteer with the needs of host organizations, while mobile phones and SMS messaging facilitate instant communication among volunteers, and social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Orkut help people come together and take action on shared issues.

Supporting and empowering young people is one of the current priorities of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He has indicated that one of the ways in which the UN will do so is to create a youth volunteer programme under the umbrella of UNV. This announcement is an important acknowledgement that volunteerism serves as a vehicle for the empowerment and development of what we now know is the largest generation of young people that the world has ever seen.

In addition to promoting the social inclusion of youth, volunteerism can advance the inclusion of other groups as well. Often women, older people, people with disabilities, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDS can be excluded from society as a result of poverty, marginalization or other forms of inequality. For these individuals, volunteer action can help people to overcome feelings of personal isolation and reduced self-worth. Volunteers come into contact with others face-to-face or, increasingly, online in circumstances that can help to enhance feelings of belonging and of contributing. At the level of communities, where some groups, or entire populations, suffer from exclusion, volunteerism fosters an enhanced sense of belonging and community well-being that helps to build resilience. In rural communities, in particular, people are better able to mobilize through volunteerism to manage resources and create sustainable practices that lead to a better quality of community life.

Interestingly, and in contrast to common misperceptions, there is growing evidence from developing countries that those living in poverty are both “givers” and “receivers” of help. They have significant capacity to assist one another through volunteerism, in association with formal organizations and also through informal channels of mutual aid. Their variety of assets, which include not only their labour, but also local knowledge, skills and networks benefit the entire community. Volunteerism, in this case is a force for developing human capital, both at the individual and community levels.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
Despite its many attributes, volunteerism is not a panacea. A key point, and one that features prominently in relevant UN General Assembly resolutions over the past decade, is that volunteerism should not take the place of actions that are the responsibility of governments.

However, states and other stakeholders from civil society, the private sector and international organizations do have critical roles to play in supporting an environment in which volunteerism can grow and thrive. I hope that throughout your conference today and tomorrow, you will discuss ways in which the UN and others may do just that. And by sharing best practices and specific examples from around the world, I am sure that your discussions will be successful.

I wish you a fruitful two days here at the Palais des Nations!
Thank you very much.