Indeed, today, we celebrate International Volunteer Day, which is particularly special as 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteerism, an occasion celebrated worldwide as IYV+2011.
Today, the first-ever Global Report on the Status of Volunteerism will be officially unveiled at a special ceremony in the capital. Besides, a National Caravan, promoted various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), will tour Nepal to generate awareness and motivate people to volunteer more.
Remarkably, the EU also decided to observe the IYV+2011 in a special way, through the proclamation of 2011 as European Year of Volunteerism, in true culmination of energies and passions for turning Europe in a volunteering-based continent.
Therefore, all around the world, the IYV+2011 offered many occasions to discuss, clarify the role and contributions of volunteerism in improving the society. Thousands of people discussed and shared best practices on volunteerism the year around. Nepal has not been immune from this wave of enthusiasm.
The first ever Course on Volunteerism, Civic Skills and Social Work was organized by CCS Italy and Nepal School of Social Work and 15 Champions of Volunteerism have already graduated. These are the young colts motivated for the establishment of a volunteerism-based society. The Kathmandu Declaration on Volunteerism prepared by the champions has been officially submitted to the National Planning Commission (NPC).
There is yet another reason to celebrate. The Government of Nepal with support of National Development Volunteer Service (NDVS) is working on the first ever National Policy on Volunteerism. This is a great opportunity to expand the “space” for volunteering, making it more inclusive, accessible and spontaneous for millions of Nepalis.
In order to lobby for establishment of a volunteering based society, another small group of likeminded organizations, individuals and companies have decided to establish the Alliance for the Promotion of Volunteerism, an informal gathering of peers with the common goal of enhancing the roles of hundreds of volunteering promotion agencies in Nepal.
The Alliance recently endorsed a Position Paper in favor of a strong national volunteering policy with the establishment of a Secretary-headed Volunteering Directorate within the NPC. Although the Alliance believes that a semi-public autonomous body would be better equipped to foster the spirit of volunteerism, the current scenario favors a middle path approach with a Directorate located at the core of national planning process. Thus, we believe, NPC is best positioned for strengthening the culture volunteerism in the country.
The new Directorate should incorporate the National Development Volunteer Service in order to come up with new goals, vision and means. The current NDVS leadership is working to set up the foundation for an open, transparent national scheme on volunteerism that could one day be implemented by national NGOs with funding from the Directorate.
The Secretary-headed Directorate should be equipped with enough staff and resources to effectively play the role of an “enabler”, empowered to support and facilitate, also through capacity building, the involvement of national and local civil society organizations promoting in establishing a volunteering society. One of the main challenges might concern the definition of volunteering promoting agencies, their regulation and monitoring. Being a Promoting Volunteering Agency means not only mobilizing volunteers but also acting as a transformative tool.
While all NGOs have some intrinsic volunteer aspects (as their boards are composed of volunteers) not all NGOs are actively engaged in volunteerism. We should value the thousands of people who humbly sit in NGO boards or those who are members of school management committees simply out of the spirit of charity. These people are the engine of the country, the social “glue” that binds the communities.
Private companies too should also be taken on board as corporate bodies can mobilize their staff in community work. The Standard Chartered Bank has started its corporate volunteering scheme.
Nepal is an intrinsically volunteerism-oriented society with many local traditions of self help still in place, especially in the rural areas, making the country unique in terms of social capital. Then, if you look at the thousands of NGOs in Nepal, you will see an undeniable trait of civic service that motivates people to turn in civic activist.
These are the invisible people that the IYV+2011 should celebrate and cherish, people who deeply care about their neighborhood, person who dedicate time, energies and resources in helping others.
Volunteerism is good for the society in its entirety. While you do something for others, you turn yourself into a better person. You donate a little of your time and resources for the betterment of the lives of the less fortunate and without realizing you so much in return. So volunteerism is as much about helping others as it is about helping yourself become a better person. It is enriching and transformative at the same time.
Nepal offers a fantastic social lab for enhanced civic engagement and volunteerism can be one of the core elements for a truly BIG SOCIETY where the people come first. Let’s take the opportunities offered by IYV+2011 to motivate people to make volunteering a part of their daily lives, not only in the villages but also in the towns.
The writer is involved in many social ventures in Nepal
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