NEWS

7 January, 2006 CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING COMES TO PERU Antamina Mining Corporation, a leading mining company working in Peru since 2001, has recently launched its corporate volunteer programme, with activities starting in San Ricardo Childhood Village in Lima. From: Asociación Trabajo Voluntario   28 July, 2004 'JAGUARS' ATTEMPT TO HALT FOREST DESTRUCTION IN ARGENTINA The Greenpeace Jaguars, a group of volunteer activists on motorbikes, are trying to stop the destruction of Argentine forests by stopping bulldozers. They are also urging people to call Argentine embassies and ask the Argentine government to suspend such activities. From: Greenpeace International   21 July, 2004 VOLUNTEERING IMPROVES HEALTH, FINDS NEW SURVEY A new survey from the Community Service Volunteers says volunteering not only cures most illnesses but also helps in fighting obesity and cutting down on smoking. Initial findings of the survey show that nearly half of the respondents say volunteering has improved their physical health and fitness. From: Community Service Volunteers   19 July, 2004 PLEA TO HONOUR VOLUNTEERS ON IVD IN AUSTRALIA Australia's Senator Guy Barnett has proposed that a new National Volunteer Medal be awarded on the International Volunteer Day (IVD), 5 December, honouring volunteers for their contribution to the country’s economy. The senator also suggests that IVD should be made a public holiday to replace the Queen's birthday celebrations in June. From: news.com.au   16 July, 2004 ONE MILLION CHINESE VOLUNTEERS WORKING TO PREVENT AIDS A senior Chinese family planning official said recently that China has 120,000 technicians and one million female volunteers now working in rural areas for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. From: China View   12 July, 2004 ‘ VOLUNTEERS KEY TO REACH HIV TREATMENT TO POOR COMMUNITIES’ Volunteers play a critical role in reaching out to grassroots communities to provide millions of poor people with antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on the eve of the 15th International AIDS Conference being held in Bangkok this week. From: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

VIEWPOINTS

7 July, 2004 SHOULD WE ASK VOLUNTEERS TO GIVE MONEY ON TOP OF TIME? Susan Ellis, a consultant in volunteerism, argues that organizations should not be reluctant in tapping financial resources from their volunteers. The commentary provides pragmatic methods on giving volunteers and donors options on how to share their time and money. From: Energize,Inc.   16 July, 2004 DO VOLUNTEERS NEED ANNUAL BANQUETS? Are formal recognitions intended to recruit new volunteers or placate volunteer coordinators, staff or executives? Ivan Scheier provides alternative ways on how to motivate and acknowledge volunteers’ work and how to avoid “nightmarish” banquets. From: Regis University   27 July, 2004 MOTIVATING YOUR VERY BUSY VOLUNTEERS Tom McKee, an expert in volunteer management, tackles a common problem encountered by volunteer leaders: how to motivate volunteers who live busy lives and have families. He suggests that volunteer managers should focus on “person-centred motivation” - giving volunteers a sense of accomplishment. From: Volunteer Power   26 January, 2006 YOU'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERED The latest attempt by UK’s Home Office to resolve its problem with asylum seekers is to impose compulsory volunteering to make them earn their keep. Aida Edemariam opines that this is a contradiction of terms; within the voluntary sector, experts and leaders are dissecting what constitutes “volunteering” and “community service”. From: The Guardian   19 July, 2006 THE LANGUAGE OF VOLUNTEERING - A TIME FOR VIGILANCE Civil society groups lobby UN summits to include “the language of volunteering” in their formal action plans. Admirable effort, says Bill Gunyon of OneWorld.net, but he calls for the volunteer sector to be vigilant. Is there a danger that the meaning of volunteering is losing connection with its grassroots origin? From: OneWorld.net