Planning for the International Year of Volunteers 2001

1
IYV 2001
Planning for the International Year of
Volunteers 2001
Youre invited to join in!
2
Introduction

• In November 1997, the United Nations General
  Assembly proclaimed 2001 as the International
  Year of Volunteers (IYV). To prepare for the
  year, the United Nations has invited governments,
  non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
  individuals and all volunteers or volunteer
  groups to find means of enhancing the
  recognition, facilitation, networking and
  promotion of voluntary service.
• The following pages contain a wealth of ideas and
  strategies to assist in planning and
  participating in the Year. Activities for IYV
  can start at any time, but for the best results,
  there is no time like the present.

3
Who is IYV for?

• The International Year of Volunteers is for
  volunteers of all ages, representing the
  diversity of volunteering from all cultures. The
  year is for
• Each individual volunteer
• International and national NGOs
• Community groups, any volunteer association
• State bodies
• Governments

4
What make a successful UN Year?

• During the Canadian Leaders Forum, volunteer
  stakeholders examined the history of successful
  UN-designated years and came up with these five
  suggestions for the International Year of
  Volunteers 2001
• 1. Pick the right moment
• 2. Package the Year so that the maximum number of
  people can relate to the issue
• 3. Aim not only to celebrate the ongoing work but
  also to change behaviour and attitudes
• 4. Start early
• 5. Ignite passions and have fun

5
Some of the many events in 2001

• IAVE WORLD CONFERENCE, 14-18 January 2001
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• WORLD CONFERENCE ON CIVIL DEFENSE AND
  VOLUNTEERISM, April 2001
• Naples, Italy
• CIVICUS WORLD ASSEMBLY, 19-23 August 2001
• Putting the Citizen at the Center Strengthening
  Voluntarism and Participatory Democracy,
  Vancouver, Canada
• UN WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, September
  2001
• Durban, South Africa  
• GENEVA SYMPOSIUM ON VOLUNTEERISM, November 2001
• Lessons learned from the National Committees
• Geneva, Switzerland
• UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION, 5 December
  2001
• The Secretary-General and member states to
  identify ways governments can support
  volunteering
• New York, USA

6
10 Steps to successful IYV activities

• 1 Build and solicit support
• 2 Create volunteer networks and linkages
• 3 Plan and coordinate energetic IYV activities
• 4 Produce event materials
• 5 Community participation and outreach
• 6 Celebrate voluntary service
• 7 Invite eminent persons to support IYV
  activities
• 8 Nurture good media relations
• 9 Lead by example and volunteer
• 10 Make it happen

7
1 Build and solicit support

• Through people and institutions
• Invite influential organizations to get involved
  NGOs, associations, clubs, schools, community
  groups, etc...
• Facilitation through recruitment, enabling a
  national center or foundation to promote
  volunteering
• Invite eminent persons that are strong advocates
  of social or volunteer issues to promote IYV
• Encourage the government to join in
• Propose legislation designed to facilitate
  volunteering
• Issue messages of support through high ranking
  officials
• Framework agreements between state structures and
  volunteer associations
• Solicit financial and in-kind donations
• Seek financial or technical support (private
  sector, government) for volunteers projects,
  campaigns, advocacy or events
• Organize a time donation campaign (people for
  specific projects)

8
2 Create volunteer networks and linkages

• Join your countrys IYV National Committee or
  consider bringing together volunteer
  organizations, NGOs and government to form one.
• Ask your mayor to proclaim International
  Volunteer Day (IVD) on 5 December
• Develop a plan to disseminate IYV information to
  volunteer organizations and individuals
• Produce a national volunteer directory
• Engage tomorrows volunteers children and youth.
• Ask postal authorities to issue IYV- IVD stamps.
• Bring together community leaders of different
  groups
• Organize conferences, symposiums, workshops
  bringing together NGOs, government
  representatives, volunteers researchers and
  interested individuals (on national or regional
  levels)
• Organize television or radio roundtable
  discussions
• Share information about your activities with Team
  IYV

9
3 Plan and coordinate energetic IYV activities

• Events to mark the opening and closing of IYV
  2001 on 5 December 2000 and 2001.
• Conferences, workshops or meetings of volunteer
  stakeholders
• Events that involve volunteers in local,
  national, international projects or charities
• Build a national commission on volunteerism -
  Portugal
• Contribute to a National Volunteer report
  China
• Develop or inspire a national volunteer centre
  Singapore
• Encourage academic volunteer studies, research or
  measurement South Korea Japan
• Develop a volunteer resource center or archives
  Ireland
• Set up volunteer training courses South Africa
• Serve as a voice for national volunteer issues
  and interests Bosch Foundation in Germany
• Poster campaign Indonesia
• Film or documentary on volunteer actions
  Mongolia

10
4 Produce event materials

• Create posters, flyers, calendars of activities,
  stickers and other promotional tools.
• Download the IYV logo from the IYV web site at
  www.iyv2001.org to produce event materials.
• Send a copy of your IYV materials to Team IYV to
  help document the wealth of materials produced
  for the Year.

11
5 Community participation and outreach

• IYV is about bringing people together to help
  each other. Events during 2001 offer an ideal
  opportunity to help foster participation and
  social networking. Below are some ideas to help
  encourage community participation
• Launch a promotional and information campaign
• Make and advertise a list of all the services,
  which would not exist if they were not
  accomplished by volunteers
• Coordinate exhibitions on volunteering
• Invite people to participatory events where they
  may plant trees, clean up parks or paint
  buildings in your community.
• Develop a national IYV web site and invite
  organizations to link to it
• Consider national and local distribution
  opportunities
• Place posters and flyers in in libraries,
  government buildings, community centers, NGOs and
  educational institutes
• Try to add IYV materials to mailings from other
  NGOs, businesses and government agencies that
  support IYV

12
6 Celebrate voluntary service

• Assure Recognition
• Host an event to distribute awards to outstanding
  volunteers and volunteer initiatives
• Give certificates for volunteer solidarity action
  and/or NGO of the year
• Hold a ceremony with eminent persons to preside
  over celebrations and hand out awards
• Plan for cultural and recreation events
  (exhibition, volunteer ball, concert, play,
  sports event)
• Invite a historian or writer to trace and present
  the history of national volunteering
• Host celebrations in honor of outstanding
  volunteer initiatives or persons
• Let the world know about your activities by
  sending out press releases and inviting the media
  

Volunteer of the Year
Volunteer appreciation award
13
7 Invite eminent persons to support IYV activities

• When eminent persons speak about volunteer
  issues, they are more likely to attract public
  attention and inspire action. Here are some ways
  eminent persons can get involved with IYV
• Attract media attention through participation in
  IYV events and initiatives
• Lead by example and volunteer at IYV events
• Appear in various media to talk about volunteer
  issues or personal volunteer experiences
• Create and/or contribute to volunteer-related
  publications
• Endorse volunteer books, movies, stories, etc.
• Perform at IYV events
• Donate works of art or possessions for volunteer
  or IYV-related fundraising
• Encourage people to volunteer in their community
• Present awards at volunteer award ceremonies
• Participate in IYV regional meetings

14
8 Nurture good media relations

• For IYV events to have the greatest impact
  possible, it is important to complement IYV
  activities with pre-planned media relations.
• Focus your press message on the one issue you
  want to convey, whether is news about an upcoming
  event or promotion of an opinion.
• Create standard media tools in advance Media
  advisory, photo opportunities, press releases,
  public service announcements (PSA) for television
  and/or radio, letter to editors and/or
  submissions to event calendars.
• Make media releases sound exciting and
  newsworthy.
• Create a media distribution list or database to
  use when sending out media material. You may
  find media lists in libraries or try partnering
  with a group that already has one.
• Timing is important. Plan ahead and send out
  different media tools at different times.
• Be prepared for journalists provide them with
  facts, contacts, information and press kits about
  your volunteer activities.

15
9 Lead by example and volunteer

• The most important thing you can do for IYV is
  volunteer! Here are some volunteer activities
  you may do to support the Year
• humanitarian and solidarity actions visiting
  sick people, donating blood, medicine, visiting
  children in orphanages and offering help,
  providing free medical services and vaccinations
  to the needy, providing free legal advice, giving
  lessons for free, providing friendship services
  such as support and counselling, collecting and
  distributing clothes, shoes, toys or food,
  helping single mothers and pensioners, providing
  a hotline for those in distress, helping in
  farming, visiting juvenile detention centres,
  providing the elderly in need with services such
  as shopping, letter writing, companionship,
  securing sponsorships producing event materials
  Donating classroom materials, hospital supplies,
  machinery, instruments, wheelchairs and other
  material for disabled, scholarships, IT
  equipment, charity dinners, getting involved in
  civic and developmental actions renovating /
  building /sponsoring / institutions for the
  disabled, orphans, pensioners, civic and
  community centers, schools, hospitals, libraries,
  playgrounds for city children, infrastructure,
  Organizing work camps with different goals,
  cleaning historical sites, renovate places of
  worship. getting involved in environmental
  activities Campaigning, pressuring, undertaking
  and studies, cleaning initiatives, initiating
  solid waste disposals, ensuring safe water
  supplies, planting gardens, trees, getting
  children involved and informed about nature and
  environment. getting involved in educational
  actions Transferring knowledge and technical
  skills, Teaching and literacy campaigns,
  Maternity and infant care workshops, Training
  session on health issues - awareness campaigns

16
10 Make it happen

• Everyone is invited to make IYV 2001 the success
  it deserves to be!
• Its our time.
• Join in!