SWVR Overview [English] [f]:Layout 1 State... · to the well-being of individuals and the entire society. Material improvements – health, education and decent work – remain essen-tial;

State of the World’solunteerism ReportUniversal Values for Global Well-being

2011OVERVIEW

SWVR Overview [English] [f]:Layout 1 29/11/11 12:48 Page 15

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the United

Nations organization that contributes to peace and development

through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of

engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can

transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits

both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening

trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully

creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and

development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with

partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and

mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including

experienced United Nations Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV

embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes

volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will,

commitment, engagement and solidarity.

UNV is administered by the

United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP)


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State of the World’sVolunteerism Report

Universal Values for Global Well-being

2011


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STATE OF THE WORLD’S VOLUNTEERISM REPORT 2011

© United Nations Volunteers, 2011

Published by: United Nations VolunteersTranslated by: Prime Production, United KingdomDesigned by: Baseline Arts, United Kingdom; Shubh Chakraborty (cover idea)Printed by: Phoenix Design Aid, Denmark

This overview is reproduced online and available toprint in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian andSpanish.Please visit: www.unvolunteers.org/swvr2011

Permission is required to reproduce any part of thispublication.

ISBN: 978-92-95045-43-9


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REPORT TEAM

State of the World’s Volunteerism Report Team

Senior WriterRobert Leigh

Research and Writing Team David Horton Smith (Senior Researcher),Cornelia Giesing, María José León, DebbieHaski-Leventhal, Benjamin J. Lough, JacobMwathi Mati, Sabine Strassburg

EditorPaul Hockenos

The analysis and policy recommendations of this report do not necessarily reflect the viewsof the United Nations Development Programme. The research and writing of the report wasa collaborative effort by the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report team and a group ofeminent advisers led by Flavia Pansieri, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers.

Citing of trade names or commercial processes does not constitute endorsement.

Project ManagerAygen Aytac

Communications SpecialistLothar Mikulla

Administrative Support TeamVera Chrobok, Johannes Bullmann


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Volunteering occurs in every society in theworld. The terms which define it and theforms of its expression may vary in differentlanguages and cultures, but the values whichdrive it are common and universal: a desire tocontribute to the common good, out of freewill and in a spirit of solidarity, without expec-tation of material reward.

Volunteers are motivated by values likethose of justice, equality and freedom asexpressed in the United Nations Charter. Asociety which supports and encouragesdifferent forms of volunteering is likely to bea society which also promotes the well-beingof its citizens. A society which fails to recog-nize and facilitate the contributions of volun-teers deprives itself of contributions to publicwell-being which could be made.

In proclaiming the International Year ofVolunteers ten years ago, the internationalcommunity recognized the essential contri-butions which volunteers make to theprogress, cohesion and resilience of commu-nities and nations. Yet, as we strive to accel-erate progress to reach the MillenniumDevelopment Goals by 2015, the contribu-tions of volunteers are not always factoredinto development strategies and often remainat the margins of development debate.

The United Nations Volunteers programmetook the initiative to commission this first-everUnited Nations report on volunteering as a wayof marking the tenth anniversary of the Inter-national Year of Volunteers. By emphasising theuntapped potential of volunteering, the reportshows that the current development architec-ture is incomplete where it omits to include thecontributions that volunteers can make.

Over the past two decades, the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP)has advanced the concept of human devel-opment, calling for expanding people’schoices and freedoms and increasing theirability to live long and healthy lives, to beeducated, and to enjoy a decent standard of

living. As the Human Development Reports haveshown, development effectiveness needs to bemeasured not only by GDP per capita, but alsoby the extent to which people’s choices haveexpanded and improved their quality of life.

The human development concept putspeople at the very centre of development.UNV’s report embraces that too, recognizingthe importance of non-material attainmentsto the well-being of individuals and the entiresociety. Material improvements – health,education and decent work – remain essen-tial; but also vital are participation, empow-erment and active citizenship of whichvolunteering is such a powerful expression.

The Global Human Development Report2010 stated: “Putting people at the centre ofdevelopment means making progress equi-table and broad-based, enabling people to beactive participants in change.” UNV’s reportshows volunteering to be a highly effectiveway of building on people’s capabilities in allsocieties and at all levels.

At UNDP, we believe in supporting coun-tries to build the institutions, capacities andpolicies which will drive transformationalchange. To be effective, policies need to bringabout change at the grassroots level. Strate-gies nurtured by community-level action canhelp achieve that.

This report should trigger a discussion on,and promote a better understanding of, thecontributions of volunteering to peace anddevelopment.

Helen ClarkAdministrator, United Nations DevelopmentProgramme

Foreword


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FOREWORD AND PREFACE

The focus of this report is on the universalvalues that motivate people the world overto volunteer for the common good and onthe impact of volunteer action on societiesand individuals. We believe in the power ofvolunteering to promote cooperation,encourage participation and contribute tothe well-being of individuals and of society asa whole.

Volunteerism was recognized as an impor-tant factor in development ten years ago in2001 when 126 Member States co-sponsoreda General Assembly resolution at the end ofthe International Year of Volunteers (IYV). Thisresolution provided numerous policy recom-mendations to governments, United Nationsbodies, non-governmental organizations andothers on ways to promote and supportvolunteerism.

Since then, encouraging progress hasbeen made in implementing some of theserecommendations. At the same time, as wemark the tenth anniversary of IYV, the contri-bution of volunteerism is still only partiallyrecognized. It is an afterthought rather thanan organic component of programmesdesigned to promote citizen participationand societal well-being.

With this report, we hope to make thecase for the recognition of volunteerism as anessential component for the sustainable,equitable progress of communities andnations. In a rapidly changing environment,volunteerism is a constant. Its forms ofexpression may vary but the central values ofsolidarity and commitment that lie at its coreremain strong and universal. They are foundin all cultures and societies and are a trueexpression of our common humanity.

There is growing recognition of the needto modify our unsustainable production andconsumption patterns. This will require polit-ical will. Equally, it will require the buy-in andactive participation of citizens. Volunteerismis not a panacea to the problems of the world

today. It is, however, an essential componentof any strategy that recognizes that progresscannot be measured solely in terms ofeconomic return and that individuals are notmotivated by self-interest alone but also bytheir deeply held values and beliefs.

In the chapters that follow, we providenumerous examples of the transformationalchanges that volunteers experience andproduce. We show why volunteerism iscrucial to human development. More impor-tantly, we argue that a truly human societyneeds to be driven by the values of trust, soli-darity and mutual respect which inspire allvolunteers.

In preparing this first United Nations reporton volunteerism, we address numerous defi-nitional and methodological issues. We arewell aware that further study and research areneeded to refine our understanding of thenature and extent of this expression of humanendeavour. This report represents the startingpoint for a broader debate, not a definitiveanswer. In future years, we intend to deepenour understanding of the motivations, scope,value and impact of volunteerism worldwide.

Flavia PansieriExecutive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers

Preface


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Volunteerism is a basic expression of humanrelationships. It is about people’s need toparticipate in their societies and to feel thatthey matter to others. We strongly believethat the social relationships intrinsic to volun-teer work are critical to individual andcommunity well-being. The ethos of volun-teerism is infused with values including soli-darity, reciprocity, mutual trust, belongingand empowerment, all of which contributesignificantly to quality of life.

People the world over engage in volunteerismfor a great variety of reasons: to help to elimi-nate poverty and to improve basic health andeducation, to provide a safe water supply andadequate sanitation, to tackle environmentalissues and climate change, to reduce the riskof disasters, and to combat social exclusionand violent conflict. In all of these fields,volunteerism contributes to peace and devel-opment by generating well-being for peopleand their communities. Volunteerism alsoforms the backbone of many national andinternational non-governmental organiza-tions and other civil society organizations aswell as social and political movements. It ispresent in the public sector and is increasinglya feature of the private sector.

While recognition of volunteerism has beengrowing in recent times, especially since theUnited Nations proclaimed 2001 the Interna-tional Year of Volunteers (IYV), the phenom-enon is still misconstrued and undervalued.All too often, the strong links are overlookedbetween volunteer activity on the one handand peace and human development on theother. It is time for the contribution of volun-teerism to the quality of life, and to well-being in a wider sense, to be understood asone of the missing components of a devel-opment paradigm that still has economicgrowth at its core. However, as the first UNDPHuman Development Report noted, people

are the real wealth of a nation. Developmentis about expanding the choices available topeople so that they may lead lives that theyvalue. Economic growth is only one means ofincreasing people’s choices.1

Alongside criteria such as health and educa-tion, another element has been added tohuman development: the freedom of peopleto use their knowledge and talents to shapetheir own destinies. This expanded definitionof development has informed 20 years ofglobal Human Development Reports (HDR)and over 600 national HDRs. This first UnitedNations State of the World’s VolunteerismReport emphasizes how volunteerism is ameans by which people can take control oftheir lives and make a difference to them-selves and to those around them.

Volunteerism is a sphere of human endeavour,of which the significance has not been fullyunderstood and articulated in the develop-ment debate, particularly in the context of theMillennium Development Goals. This is not todeny that considerable progress has beenachieved since IYV, especially in the developingworld, in responding to the four major themesidentified for the year, namely greater recogni-tion, facilitation, networking and promotion of

“People are the real wealth of a nation.”UNDP Human Development Report. (1990).

Overview

Extend the notion of volunteerism as an additional valuable compo-

nent of national development planning to development coopera-

tion policy. Recognizing and building strategically on rich, local

traditions of voluntary self-help and mutual aid can open the way to

building up a new constituency in support of development efforts.

Forging a link in the mind of the general public in countries

providing development assistance between domestic volunteering

in those countries and volunteering in countries receiving assistance

can also help enlist public support for development cooperation.4

Source: UNGA. (2002b).

BOX O.1 : Volunteerism as a valuable component of development plans


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volunteerism. Governments have developedan extensive list of recommendations foractions to support volunteerism. These arecontained in United Nations General AssemblyResolution 56/38 adopted in 2001 and havebeen supplemented by subsequent resolu-tions from the United Nations GeneralAssembly.2 These recommendations are alsoemphasized in successive reports of the UnitedNations Secretary-General.3

The timing of this report, a decade after IYV, iscrucial, as it coincides with an intense debateabout the type of societies that we wish tosee, for ourselves and for future generations.Globalization is rapidly transforming culturaland social norms, bringing benefits to somebut exclusion and marginalization to others.Many people feel a loss of control over theirlives.5 Volunteerism is one way for people toengage in the life of their communities andsocieties. In doing so, they acquire a sense ofbelonging and inclusion and they are able toinfluence the direction of their lives.

At no point in history has the potential beengreater for people to be primary actors,rather than passive bystanders, in theircommunities, to affect the course of eventsthat shape their destiny. In Latin America inthe 1980s, in Eastern Europe in the 1990s and,most recently, in the Arab world, aided by therapid expansion of digital communications,people have articulated their desire forparticipatory democratic processes throughvolunteer-based campaigning and activism.

Volunteerism needs to be brought to the fore inthe development discourse at global, regionaland country levels. Interest in many aspects of

volunteerism has grown considerably in recentyears. This is evident from the burgeoningacademic work on the topic, the diverse forumsfor discussing volunteerism and the consider-able media coverage, especially in connectionwith natural disasters and major sporting eventssuch as the Olympic Games and the footballWorld Cup. There are also increasing signs ofgovernment support for volunteerism as a formof civic engagement, not only to enhancedelivery of services but also to promote thevalues that underpin social cohesion andharmony. While this interest in volunteerism didnot begin with IYV in 2001, many new volun-teer-related initiatives can be traced back to it.

This report does not intend to duplicate theexisting body of scholarly work on volun-teerism (see bibliography). Instead, we presenta vision of volunteerism and examine how itrelates to some of the principal peace anddevelopment challenges of our times. Theexamples cited are predominantly from devel-oping countries, thus correcting a pronouncedimbalance in scholarship to date. However, theSWVR is intended to be global in application.

The groundbreaking resolution 56/38 of theUnited Nations General Assembly containsexplicit recommendations on ways in whichgovernments and the United Nations systemcan support volunteering.7 Among the keyconsiderations were:

� Neglecting to factor volunteering into thedesign and implementation of policiescould entail the risk of overlooking a valu-able asset and undermine traditions ofcooperation that bind communitiestogether.8

� There is not one universal model of bestpractice, since what works well in onecountry may not work in another with verydifferent cultures and traditions.9

� Support for voluntary activities does notimply support for government downsizingor for replacing paid employment.10

“People often feel powerless in the face of globalization; like flotsam

and jetsam on the waves with no stable anchor. Volunteerism can be

an anchor for people as they affect change in their own community

of place.”

Source: Marian Harkin, [Member of the European Parliament, UNV High-Level Advisory Board]. (2011).6

BOX O.2 :Volunteerism as an anchor in the face of global changes


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OVERVIEW

VOLUNTEERISM IN THE WORLD TODAY

An ethic of volunteerism exists in everysociety in the world, albeit in different forms.Since 2001, wide-ranging research has addedgreatly to our understanding of the phenom-enon. Nevertheless, fundamental mispercep-tions remain widespread in the Westernworld and beyond as to its nature and contri-butions. There is no agreed methodology formeasuring the extent of voluntary engage-ment. However, most studies attest to theuniversality of volunteerism, its universalspread, massive scale and impact.

NEW FACES OF VOLUNTEERISM

Opportunities for people to engage in volun-teer action have been expanding in recentyears as a result of factors such as globaliza-tion, the spread of new technologies andinitiatives associated with corporate socialresponsibility from the private sector. Theadvent of mobile communication technolo-gies and online volunteering, for example,has enabled many more people to participatefor the first time. Mass short message service(SMS) communication is one form of “micro-volunteerism” that contributes to the produc-tion and sharing of information. It isfrequently used by people to raise awareness,inform choices and monitor public services.

Online volunteering, i.e. volunteer work donevia the Internet, has eliminated the need forvolunteerism to be tied to specific times andlocations, thus greatly increasing the freedomand flexibility of volunteer engagement. Thesharing of information through social net -working sites such as Twitter, Facebook andOrkut has helped people to organize aroundissues ranging from the environment todemocratic change, most recently in someArab states. The Internet facilitates volun-teerism by matching the interests of peoplewho seek to volunteer with the needs of hostorganizations, through programmes such asthe UN Volunteers Online Volunteeringservice. Membership of virtual, Internet-

based communities can also engender feel-ings of belonging and well-being.

While international volunteering is not new, ithas manifested itself in new forms and hastaken on new dimensions in an age of glob-alization. “Voluntourism” or student “gap-year” volunteerism, often undertaken forshort periods, are new manifestations andtheir impact is open to question. Corpora-tions, NGOs, universities and faith-basedorganizations have become increasinglyengaged in facilitating internationally basedvolunteer placements. Furthermore, there isdiaspora volunteerism in which experts fromemigrant communities undertake short-termassignments to transfer knowledge to theircountries of origin.

Another relatively new phenomenon isinvolvement of the private sector. Today,roughly one in three large companies offerssome type of employer-supported volun-teerism. There is a growing trend of long-term collaboration between private sectorenterprises and local NGOs.

VOLUNTEERISM AND THEDEVELOPMENT PARADIGM

The contribution of volunteerism to develop-ment is particularly striking in the context ofsustainable livelihoods and value-basednotions of well-being. Contrary to commonperceptions, the income poor are as likely tovolunteer as those who are not poor. In doingso they realize their assets, which includeknowledge, skills and social networks, for thebenefit of themselves, their families and theircommunities. The values of volunteerism areextremely relevant in strengthening thecapacity of the most vulnerable to achievesecure livelihoods and to enhance their phys-ical, economic, spiritual and social well-being.Moreover, volunteering can reduce the socialexclusion that is often the result of poverty,marginalization, and other forms of inequality.Volunteerism is one path to inclusion amongpopulation groups that are often excluded

Fundamentalmisperceptions

remainwidespread in

the Westernworld and

beyond as tothe nature andcontributions

of volunteerism


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such as women, young and older people,people with disabilities, migrants and peopleliving with HIV/AIDS.

There is mounting evidence that volunteerengagement promotes the civic values andsocial cohesion which mitigate violentconflict at all stages and that it even fostersreconciliation in post-conflict situations. Bycontributing to building trust, volunteeraction diminishes the tensions that give riseto conflict and can also contribute to conflictresolution. It can also create commonpurpose in the aftermath of war. Indeed,people bound together through activeparticipation and cooperation at local levelare in a better position to resolve differencesin non-confrontational ways.

Volunteer action in the context of naturaldisasters has long been one of the mostvisible manifestations of volunteerism. It isalso one of the clearest expressions of thehuman values underpinning the drive to carefor others. Despite the tendency of the mediato focus on international volunteers, neigh-bours and local residents are often the first torespond. The role of volunteerism in this fieldhas become even more prominent as theincidence of disasters increases owing toclimate change, rapid urbanization and otherfactors. There is growing international aware-ness that nations and communities can andshould build resilience to disasters through a“bottom-up” process in the form of volunteerinitiatives rooted in the community. Indeed,the 2005 World Conference on DisasterReduction declared that the most effectiveresources for reducing vulnerability are localcommunity self-help, local organizations andlocal networks. “Putting people at the centre ofdevelopment is much more than an intellectualexercise”, notes the HDR 2010. “It meansmaking progress equitable and broad-based,enabling people to be active participants inchange”.11 Volunteerism can be a highly effec-tive and practical means of building onpeople’s capabilities in all societies and at alllevels. It also provides a channel through

which these capabilities may enhance thewell-being of individuals, communities andnations.

In order to meet international developmenttargets, such as the Millennium DevelopmentGoals, the voluntary efforts of countlessmillions of ordinary citizens are needed tobolster the efforts of governments and inter-national actors.12

We want to bring about a greater recognitionof the rich and manifold expressions of volun-teerism as a powerful force for progress. Wetruly believe that volunteerism goes farbeyond merely completing a given task. Itcreates and sustains bonds of trust and soci-etal cohesion, and helps to forge a commonsense of identity and destiny. Volunteeraction, by which people unite in sharedendeavours towards a common purpose, is afeature of most societies. As such, it touchesthe lives of vast numbers of people all overthe world.

The SWVR is both a description and a cele-bration of the positive impact of volun-teerism, especially on the large numbers ofpeople experiencing income poverty, inse-curity and exclusion. We hope to awaken aninterest in volunteerism beyond the practi-tioners and scholars already engaged in thesubject. We want to inform future policydebates on peace, development and well-being that will lead policymakers to take intoaccount this massive but largely invisible anduntapped asset.

A central thesis running through this reportis that the values inherent in volunteerismendow it with far-reaching potential forhuman development. This notion of devel-opment includes factors such as solidarity,social inclusion, empowerment, life satisfac-tion and individual and societal well-being.The well-being of individuals is intrinsicallylinked to their contributions to the lives ofothers.

The valuesinherent in

volunteerismendow it withfar-reachingpotential for

humandevelopment


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OVERVIEW

These values have long been close to thework of the United Nations. Yet, despite allthat it offers, volunteerism remains largelyabsent from the peace and developmentagenda. This must change. Volunteerismshould be recognized as a powerful anduniversal renewable resource and a vitalcomponent of the social capital of everynation. It has a huge potential to make a realdifference in responding to many of the mostpressing global concerns. We expect thisreport to contribute to a better appreciationof this potential and to encourage greaterstrategic thinking and action to incorporatevolunteerism into mainstream policies andprogrammes for peace and development.

ENDNOTES

1 Human Development Reports, n.d.

2 UNGA, 2002b; UNGA, 2003; UNGA, 2006; UNGA,

2009

3 UNGA, 2002a; UNGA, 2005; UNGA, 2008

4 UNGA, 2002b, p. 6; Annex: Recommendations on

ways in which Governments and the United Nations

system could support volunteering. II. Government

support, (g), point (i).

5 UNDP and EO, 2003

6 UNV, 2011c, p. 9

7 UNGA, 2002b



system could support volunteering. I. General

considerations, point 6.









11 UNDP, 2010b, p. 9

12 The National Commission for Human Development,

UNV, & UN Pakistan, 2004


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References

Human Development Reports. (n.d.). TheHuman Development concept. Retrieved21 August 2011 fromhttp://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/

The National Commission for Human Devel-opment, United Nations Volunteers(UNV), & the UN System in Pakistan(2004, December). International confer-ence on volunteerism & the MillenniumDevelopment Goals [Final report], Islam-abad, Pakistan. Retrieved 23 June 2011fromhttp://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/fileadmin/docs/old/pdf/2005/050822PAK_MDG.pdf

United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and Evaluation Office (EO).(2003). Volunteerism and development.In Evaluation Office (Ed.), Essentials. NewYork, NY: UNDP and EO.

United Nations Development Programme(UNDP). (1990). Human DevelopmentReport 1990: Concept and measurement ofHuman Development. New York, NY:UNDP.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2002a). International Year of Volunteers:Outcomes and future perspectives(A/57/352) [Report of the Secretary-General presented at the fifty-seventhsession – Agenda item 98].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2002b). Recommendations on support forvolunteering (A/RES/56/38) [Resolutionadopted by the General Assembly at thefifty-sixth session – Agenda item 108].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2010). Objective and themes of the UnitedNations conference on sustainable devel-opment (A/CONF.216/PC/7) [Report ofthe Secretary-General PreparatoryCommittee for the United NationsConference on Sustainable Developmentat the second session – ProvisionalAgenda Item 2].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2003). Follow-up to the International Yearof Volunteers (A/RES/57/106) [Resolutionadopted by the General Assembly at thefifty-seventh session – Agenda item 98].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2005). Follow-up to the implementation ofthe International Year of Volunteers(A/60/128) [Report of the Secretary-General presented at the sixtieth session– Agenda item 64].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2006). Follow-up to the International Yearof Volunteers (A/RES/60/134) [Resolutionadopted by the General Assembly at thesixtieth session – Agenda item 62].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2008). Follow-up to the implementation ofthe International Year of Volunteers(A/63/184) [Report of the Secretary-General presented at the sixty-thirdsession – Agenda item 58(b)].

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).(2009). Follow-up to the implementation ofthe International Year of Volunteers(A/RES/63/153) [Resolution adopted bythe General Assembly at the sixty-thirdsession – Agenda item 55 (b)].

United Nations Volunteers (UNV). (2011).SWVR High Level Advisory Board meeting[Unpublished summary Report]. Bonn,Germany: UNV.


UNV CONTACT DETAILSFor general information about UNV please contact:

United Nations Volunteers (UNV)Postfach 260 111D-53153 BonnGermany

Telephone: (+49 228) 815 2000Fax: (+49 228) 815 2001

Email: [email protected]: www.unvolunteers.orgUNV Facebook page: www.facebook.com/unvolunteersUNV YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/unv

UNV Office in New YorkTwo United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017, U.S.A.

Telephone: (+1 212) 906 3639Fax: (+1 212) 906 3659

Email: [email protected]

For information about becoming a UN Volunteer, please visitthe UNV website:www.unvolunteers.org

For more information about the UNV Online Volunteeringservice, please visit:www.onlinevolunteering.org

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Documents

SWVR Overview [English] [f]:Layout 1 State... · to the well-being of individuals and the entire society. Material improvements – health, education and decent work – remain essen-tial;