E. Bringing volunteerism into the mainstream

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has developed an internal volunteering policy and established a volunteering focal point within its headquarters.

56 38. Recommendations on support for volunteering

References in national Human Development Reports to volunteerism are an indicator of the extent to which volunteerism is entering the mainstream of development thinking.

(l) Mine action.

Involvement ranges from employer supported volunteer schemes and funding for volunteer projects, to building partnerships around volunteer focused government and civil society initiatives.

National legislation on volunteering was identified during the International Year of Volunteers as an important determinant of a flourishing volunteer movement.

The legislative environment is becoming increasingly supportive of volunteering and the contribution that volunteering makes to individuals and societies is increasingly recognized.

The United Nations Children's Fund has comprehensively researched the state of volunteering within its national committees and plans to use the results to enhance the spirit of volunteerism.

Panel discussion on Volunteerism How you can make a difference? and

11. Acknowledges the importance of civil society organizations for the promotion of volunteerism, and in this respect recognizes that strengthening the dialogue and interaction between civil society and the United Nations contributes to the expansion of volunteerism

Basic information is lacking on the scale of volunteering, the different forms it takes, the impact of cultural, economic and social perspectives and the nature of barriers to taking part in voluntary action that face some segments of the population.

The feasibility of periodic reviews of the global status of volunteerism that would take stock and highlight major developments in voluntary action around the world and provide inputs for United Nations publications, might also be considered.

The present report provides evidence of the beginning of a trend towards a greater recognition on the part of Governments and other stakeholders of the value added by volunteerism and of the need to ensure a favourable environment within which voluntary action can flourish.

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary General on support for volunteering A 56 288.

There seems to be a fundamental difference between our concept of volunteering work for no return but the love of God, and the Western concept of working on volunteer projects serving causes people believe in.

At the regional level, the European Conference and Exchange Forum about Volunteering (Eurofestation 2004), held in 2004 in the Netherlands during that country's presidency of the European Union, was attended by representatives from a broad range of stakeholders in volunteerism.

7. Invites all stakeholders, especially from the private sector community and from private foundations, to support volunteerism as a strategic tool to enhance economic and social development, including by expanding corporate volunteering

Among countries with economies in transition, the Czech Republic and Hungary already consider volunteerism as integral to their development efforts. Bolivia is an example of a developing country whose economic and social planning reflects the contribution of voluntary action.

This includes a range of volunteering possibilities with organizations in deprived communities and towns.

(d) Encouraging and undertaking research in the various aspects of volunteerism and its impact on society

Some Governments have sought to incorporate volunteering by young people into social policy.

This should help to ensure that suitable frameworks are put in place to support and nurture volunteerism.

9. Invites all stakeholders, especially from the private sector community and from private foundations, to support volunteerism as a strategic tool to enhance economic and social development, including by expanding corporate volunteering

Sayed Mahmood Alaali starts by describing what he feels is the basic difference I have wanted for a long period of time to write about the concept of volunteering in our village and perhaps in Bahrain generally and its difference from volunteering in the West.

An important development in efforts to raise the profile of volunteerism was the issuance in 2003 by the United Nations of the Handbook on Non Profit Institutions in the System of National Accounts,1 which includes a section on volunteering.

Indeed, there is a need for changes in some existing legislation that has a negative impact on volunteering, including barriers to international volunteering schemes.

Activities of women are alive only thanks to the voluntary work and enthusiasm of the management of the Forum and professional section of women.

Determining trends in levels of volunteering with any great precision remains a challenge.

In Colombia, the government department concerned with coordinating the country's solidarity economy has been tasked with facilitating voluntary action.

Some United Nations organizations have prepared and disseminated publications on volunteering within their specialized areas of competence.

For the United Nations system as a whole, a sound step forward was taken during the International Year of Volunteers with the issuance of a publication entitled Volunteering and the United Nations System, which looked at the broad spread of volunteerism in its many and diverse forms throughout the system.

Advances since 2001 in the recognition and promotion of voluntary action have been backed up by efforts to facilitate volunteerism through the establishment and strengthening of human and physical infrastructure.

The time has arrived for a massive effort by voluntary organizations to take up the MDG s through private action.

Groups including CCIVS, NVDA, Group Work Foundation, and Service Civil International (SCI) are a few providing International work camps.

There are some unresolved questions concerning the definition of work in particular, whether unpaid endeavors, such as volunteering or studying, are work.

The researchers developed a Moral Resources and Political Capital approach to examine the contributions of volunteerism in promoting the civil society.

It also considers how to bring volunteerism into the mainstream and its inclusion in deliberations at international forums and the work of the United Nations system.

12. Encourages Governments to establish partnerships with civil society in order to build up volunteer potential at the national level, given the important contribution that volunteerism makes to the fulfilment of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration

3. Invites States to consider all means available for more people to become involved in voluntary action and to be drawn from a broader cross section of society, especially from groups, including young people, older people and people with disabilities, in view of the benefits accruing to volunteers through volunteer action

(g) Integrating volunteerism into national development planning, recognizing the potential contribution of volunteerism to the achievement of sustainable development goals

Progress is also being made on the qualitative front, as media coverage increasingly links volunteerism to development issues.

The number of countries that have created online databases and websites listing volunteer opportunities is growing steadily.

In Eastern Europe and Latin America, recognition of the potential of volunteering as an integral part of the democratization process is growing.

Awareness raising extends to donor countries, which are urged to consider support to local volunteerism in overseas aid programmes.