Archive for the ‘international volunteering’ Category
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Cuts threaten Americorps
Two years ago, the Serve America Act was passed with much fanfare. It established a goal of expanding from 75,000 government-supported volunteers to 250,000, and aimed to increase education funding and establish a summer volunteer program for students, paying $500 (which would be applied to college costs) to high-school and middle-school student who participate. The world’s voluntary organisations looked on with envy.
What a difference a couple of years can make. With pressure to slash budgets, the Republicans are now proposing to abolish the Corporation for National and Community Service which funds the likes of Americorps and Learn and Serve America.
I think this seems like a false economy for the US, and a real blow for the young people affected. After all, the Americorps version of “national service” is voluntary, not compulsory, and participants receive living expenses and modest college expenses (not a bad option in a time of record youth unemployment rates). It supports innovative projects like Teach for America, which fills hard-to-fill teaching positions with America’s top college graduates, City Year, which has been shown to dramatically reduce teenage drop-out rates in schools, and numerous other voluntary organisations, large and small. (For more, see ICP’s collection of 52 of the most innovative Americorps programmes.)
As Shirley Sagwa writes in the Huffington Post: “Volunteers aren’t free — somebody needs to recruit them and manage them — and charities often struggle for resources, especially during down economies. AmeriCorps members, by recruiting and supervising community volunteers, make it possible for millions of people to make a real difference. As a result, the charitable sector is stronger and volunteers more effective, thereby lessening the need for greater government spending.”
Service Nation, Stand for Americorps and many others are campaigning against the cuts.
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Time to “blow the bloody doors off” youth civic service
Thanks to the lovely folk at IANYS, I’ve learnt a lot about youth national service of late, which is mighty handy as it seems everyone who’s anyone is getting in on this particular act at the moment. (And when I say everyone, I mean everyone, from Hilary Clinton to Sir Michael Caine.)Of course, this year, 12 National Citizens Service pilots will test David Cameron’s big idea on 11,000 16-year-olds in the UK. These 7-8 week summer projects aim to “help young people develop the skills and attitude to get involved in the community and become active and responsible citizens.”
Meanwhile, as Noel Hatch recently reminded me, France got their national youth service up and running last year, when the French National Assembly voted to invest heavily in Service Civique (Civic Service). They ask for a significant commitment of 6-12 months full-time service, with “missions” available in nine areas of interest at home and abroad. (My favourite example from their site is: Health education: for example, explaining binge-drinking consequences to primary school children – I guess they don’t have the Daily Mail in France.) In 2010, Service Civique had over 10,000 young volunteers, and it aims to mobilize 75,000 young people by 2015.
French volunteers are also compensated for their time, receiving 440€ per month directly from the government, and an extra 100€ expenses in cash, vouchers or in kind from their host organisation to cover food, accommodation or transportation expenses. Disadvantaged young people could qualify for an additional 100€ per month, and all volunteers get their social welfare fully financed by the government.
This stipend obviously makes a big difference to those involved, as this quote from Hassan, a participant, shows:
“Entering into society, earning my living honestly, having a paycheck, and apartment, a family. Everything that I’ve refused until now, is now my role.”
Bermuda also got in on the act in 2010, announcing a voluntary national service programme for 24-30 year olds. This time, participants will serve for 16 hours each month for two years, earning incentives including free public transport, low interest bank loans, discounts at shops, and ongoing support from organization and alumni networks. And the Ivory Coast has been piloting its own version of civic service, focussing on peace building and preparing young people for employment, and plans to develop a national strategy based on the results of this pilot.
There are so many approaches to national youth service, and so many difficult questions to consider, that I’ve resolved to find out more, so this month I’ll mostly be reading Service Without Guns – I mean, you can’t quibble with a title like that, can you?
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Do Something, technology and social activism: a Q&A with Melanie Stevenson
We recently had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Stevenson, responsible for business development for premier US charity Do Something, whilst on her sabbatical, visiting London. With the largest national database of volunteer opportunities for teens, Do Something have been a truly instrumental force in helping change the face of social activism in the USA, inspiring millions of young people to engage with and take an active role within their communities.We caught up with Melanie to find out more about her role at Do Something alongside global attitudes towards social activism amongst young people…
It’s clear from the popularity of Do Something that young people in America are very socially conscious and proactive when it comes to volunteering. Have you seen any particular trends emerge over recent years? If so, to what extend do you feel trends have been influenced by wider political and social changes?
You’re right, teens in America are passionate about giving back. 1.2 Million of them will take action through DoSomething.org’s programs this year. Next year, we anticipate 2 Million Do’ers to activate through our programs.Some trends we’ve noticed are:
- Customisation – This is the ‘Starbucks generation’ (think grande java chip frappucino with whip no drizzle). Young people today expect volunteer opportunities to fit their personalities and lifestyles. Whether they have a minute or a year, whether they care about global human rights or the environment, they should have opportunities to give back. It’s our job to make it easy to find them.
- Self-Starting – Young people are more likely than ever to see a problem, plan a project, and take action. They’re opting for direct activation over traditional “volunteerism” which is a more scheduled and structured experience. A few tips and resources help them get started, but they’re truly becoming “social entrepreneurs”.
- Social Shopping – Not only does a brand have to be cool and functional to win a young person’s heart – it has to have heart itself. 89% of young people today will switch brand loyalty based on cause association. Where they spend their money is part of how they live responsibly.
Young people today grew up online, where they can find exactly what they’re looking for whenever they want. In an instant they can create a customized pair of sneakers, find any “how to” guide you can imagine, and dig up dirt about a store at their local mall. These trends are direct responses to the power of online.
You mention ‘the power of online’ – to what extent do you feel developments in technology and social media have aided awareness of volunteering and social causes? Are there any particular technological developments or innovative social media campaigns that have inspired you?
Developments in technology have absolutely magnified the power of volunteering and social good. The single best way for a young person to find out about something is from a friend. And social media has turned that peer-to-peer conversation into a public forum!One of our most exciting social media programs was a recent campaign called Make Art. Save Art.
Art is being cut from US schools every day. We asked young people to create and share works of art as advocacy messages for arts education. The designs were shared over 350,000 times on Facebook and Twitter, and posted over 1,000 times on senators’ Facebook fan pages!The technology we’re most focused on here at DoSomething.org is mobile. The average teen sends over 100 text messages per day with a 100% open rate! It’s their preferred method of communication and their phones are by their side at all times. We’re working actively to deliver our programs more and more via mobile, and reward young people for their participation.
You’ve had the opportunity to travel and meet other youth volunteering agencies around the world. Have opinions towards volunteering and social activism differed? Have any particular organisations or individual stories inspired you?
My recent travel to Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, and England were such an inspiration! Each country has a unique perspective on the world of social activism. History, culture, politics, economy and even geography all play into how passionate the population is about social change, and how willing or able they are to take action. Everyone I met inspired me and challenged my perspective in some way. I was particularly inspired by the way the v20 are at the core of everything v does. We have an incredible Youth Advisory Council at DoSomething.org, but it challenged me to think of even more ways to collaborate with them and celebrate their accomplishments. -
Is it time for charities to forget advertising and provide useful services instead?
I recently sat on a panel alongside Scott Burnett of LoveLife, South Africa’s largest HIV initiative for young people. We were there to talk about digital innovation in international youth service programmes, and I found myself in the surprising position of being massively impressed by a WAP site called MYMsta.OK, stay with me here… WAP is the ideal way to reach young people in South Africa, where only around 10% of the population has access to the internet, but 75% of young people have a cell phone. What’s more, instant messaging via a mobile-based social network can massively undercut the cost of text messaging, giving it instant appeal for the youth market.
MYMsta (“Make-Your-Move-sta” – named by the youth so you’re not supposed to get it) is a mobile social network with a difference, seeking to connect the youth to their peers, but also to deliver positive health messages to its users. In short, why pay to advertise on other people’s communication channels if you can deliver a service yourself, and in doing so win the loyalty of your target audience by saving them money? And what better place to offer sexual health advice on demand than on a mobile phone, where dates are arranged and hearts broken?
Here in the UK, the popularity of Blyk shows that many young people are prepared to accept advertising messages on their mobile in exchange for a free mobile contract, but while there are a few apps using the “provide useful unrelated service in order to deliver important messages” logic (MacMillan’s find a coffee shop app, for example), I’m not aware of charities embracing the concept in a big way. (If you are, I’d love to hear about it.)
I’m hugely excited by the prospect of a social network service, which genuinely benefits the target audience, run by a charity whose mission is to help ensure a generation of complete, creative and connected youth who have the tools to stay HIV free. So I’ll be watching their progress with interest, and just a little bit of jealousy.
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Our Year, Our Voice
On the 18th December 2009, The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that the following year beginning the 12th August 2010 (that’s TODAY!) was to be known as The International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. This exciting development means that The General Assembly has spent the last month calling on governments, communities and individuals worldwide to support youth-focused activities on a local, national and international scale.
The United Nations have put specific focus on enhancing ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding’- the objective being to encourage communication and acceptance across generations and cultures; to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights, freedom, and solidarity.
So what does this mean to me?
It would appear that authorities everywhere now understand the importance of acknowledging the voice of youth in regards to social debate. Governments feel it is imperative that young people are engaged in a significant and sustainable manner and they are now turning to young people everywhere in an attempt to improve relationships, enhance understanding and solidify respect between generations, cultures and societies.
“The International Year is about advancing the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society,” UN Focal Point on Youth Nicola Shepherd said. “We encourage all sectors of society to work in partnership with youth and youth organizations to better understand their needs and concerns and to recognize the contributions that they can make to society.”
Young people are a major human resource for community development, technological innovation and positive social change. Governments are now trying to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in an effort to overcome the challenges facing each and every one of us; from enhancing peace to improving the current economic condition.
As a youth-focused organisation, everyone at v is very excited about taking advantage of this occasion and developing ideas to ensure this year is a successful and empowering occasion for young people everywhere. This is an amazing opportunity for youth from all around the world to demonstrate their commitment to fruitful dialogue, contributing and sharing ideas, and advancing mutual understanding.
So what next?
Now that The General Assembly has acknowledged the potential of young people everywhere, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at something new. This is the perfect opportunity to enhance your presence in your local community, get your voice heard and try to make a difference.
Please visit: http://social.un.org/youthyear/ for more information on The International Year of Youth.
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“Volunteering is now cool” – rallying cry from rent-a-crowd for non-profits
We were always going to fall in love with an “unincorporated disorganisation” who state their vision as “a world where volunteering is as mainstream as cheeseburgers and breathing.” Youth Tree is a group of young volunteers from Western Australia who are shaking up volunteering Down Under.
They’ve just launched the Big Help Mob, a diverse army of 100+ young volunteers who regularly get together to do favours for non-profits. Then they celebrate with “enormous, ludicrous flash mobs”.
Any local non-profit can submit an idea for how this rent-a-crowd could help them out, via their website. The best ideas are taken on. So all kinds of causes, charities, people, animals or environments can benefit from a sudden, one-off burst of people-power.
Did we mention that we love it?
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Help-Portrait: “The greatest thing we’ve ever done with our cameras”
The vlabsblog team has been inspired and excited by the success of Help-Portrait, an innovative photography project which successfully spread masses of festive joy by creating 40,000 free portraits for people to treasure for a lifetime.
On Saturday 12th December, more than 8300 photographers and volunteers in 715 locations in 42 countries gave up their time for the project. The brief is beautifully simple: find someone in need. Take their portrait. Print their portrait. And deliver it to them. That’s it. Simple to do, but as the website shows, a photograph can mean the world to someone, perhaps making a person feel special for the first time in their lives.
Help-Portrait was founded by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart with his vision of the photography community and individuals giving back this holiday season. This event reached a magnitude that nobody saw coming.
“On December 12th, cultural borders were crossed on one side of the camera and competitive borders on the other,” reflects Cowart. “I honestly don’t know which side of the camera was blessed more. For many of our subjects across the world, Help-Portrait provided them with their first-ever family photo. However, we’re consistently hearing from many photographers worldwide that this is the greatest thing they’ve ever done with their cameras.”
It’s a lovely way for photographers to be able to share their skills – structured enough to form a template for collective action, yet open enough to let each participant stamp his or her mark on the project. Best of all, each portrait is a memento of a personal interaction between photographer and model, between someone who deserves to feel special and someone who wanted to help. You just can’t buy moments like that.
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Inspiring ideas for the future
3 billion. Thats the number of young people under twenty-five in the world – as threebillion points out, thats half the worlds population.
How can the energy and ideas of this group contribute to development? Well, Michael Boampong has some thoughts. We’ve featured Michael’s organisation, Young People We Care, previously on the vlabs blog.
Here, Michael discusses Youth-Led Development: Promoting Sustainable Development and Empowering Youth in an essay for the website Youthink!’s International Youth Day Essay Contest.
Responding to the essay question set by the World Bank, What are your tangible ideas for how youth can create effective, long-lasting change? other ideas include a TV channel by and for youth around the world, a wider look at how our attitudes can help shape our planet’s future and how obstacles like red-tape or limited finances should not young people from making a difference.
What are your ideas?
In preparation for the Y2Y Global Youth Conference 2009, the World Bank is seeking essays on Youth Entrepreneurship in times of crisis.
Get writing.
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Can international volunteering be truly accessible for all young people?
The government’s decision to give Raleigh £500,000 to support graduates “who otherwise could not afford” to volunteer abroad has had a mixed reception. While the “creative thinking” was welcomed by the NUS, some previous volunteers complained that it was “unfair” to those who had raised the full cost of the trip themselves, while others claimed that these “free gap years” could still end up costing upwards of £2,000.
Many young people are sold on the value of international volunteering. DFID research published in December 2008 showed that while 19% of the general adult population think volunteering is effective at reducing poverty overseas, that number increases to 32% in the 16-24 year old age group. But is international volunteering still the preserve of the middle classes? There are several schemes in the UK which hope to prove otherwise.
Charlotte Singleton, a volunteer youth worker from Manchester, spent 10 weeks teaching in a school in Himachal Pradesh, northern India. Her placement was fully funded by Platform 2, a global volunteering scheme for 18 to 25 year olds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to visit a developing country, funded by the Department for International Development.
She said: “I didn’t think that people like me could do something like this. I thought it was just for people who were rich… I’d never been on an airplane before. The farthest I’d been was Wales.”
Latitude Global Volunteering offers a range of fully funded placements and bursaries for 16-25 year olds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to volunteer.
Meanwhile, virtual volunteering opportunities allow young volunteers to help international charities from the comfort of their own homes. WorldWide Volunteering now offers virtual volunteering options, and the UN Online Volunteers Service also has opportunities for volunteers aged 18+.
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