Youth & Youth & VolunteerismVolunteerism

August 19, 2008August 19, 2008

Sumana BounchanSumana Bounchan

What is What is VolunteerismVolunteerism

Definition used by Australian Definition used by Australian VolunteersVolunteers

International, as being someone International, as being someone who:who: Works for the benefit of the Works for the benefit of the

community and the volunteer;community and the volunteer; Works of their own free will;Works of their own free will; Is not mainly motivated by payment;Is not mainly motivated by payment; May receive support (financial or May receive support (financial or

otherwise) but not a salary;otherwise) but not a salary; Works in the not-for-profit sector;Works in the not-for-profit sector; Is not full-time staff of an organizationIs not full-time staff of an organization

Volunteerism is the willingness of people to Volunteerism is the willingness of people to

work on behalf of others without being work on behalf of others without being

motivated by financial gain. Volunteer may motivated by financial gain. Volunteer may

have special training as rescuers, guides, have special training as rescuers, guides,

assistants, teachers, missionaries, amature assistants, teachers, missionaries, amature

radio operators, writers, and in other radio operators, writers, and in other

positions. But the majority work on an positions. But the majority work on an

impromptu basis, recognizing a need and impromptu basis, recognizing a need and

filling itfilling it. (Wikipedia). (Wikipedia)

Why VolunteerismWhy Volunteerism

• Theories of volunteerism say that Theories of volunteerism say that people can be mobilized to people can be mobilized to participate in the development of participate in the development of their communities. When people their communities. When people volunteer, civic participation and volunteer, civic participation and social capital increase. Furthermore, social capital increase. Furthermore, these kinds of civic participation are these kinds of civic participation are essential to building democratic essential to building democratic societies.societies.

Why VolunteerismWhy Volunteerism

Why VolunteerismWhy Volunteerism

• Also it can have added unforeseen Also it can have added unforeseen effects, such as personal effects, such as personal development and improving the development and improving the quality of local governance.quality of local governance.

Why VolunteerismWhy Volunteerism

Positive effects in the following Positive effects in the following priority areas priority areas

of the government’s National Strategic of the government’s National Strategic

Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-10: Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-10:

promoting access to education promoting access to education (including (including

survival rates and access to further survival rates and access to further

education) and improving its quality; education) and improving its quality;

reducing poverty through increasing reducing poverty through increasing

agricultural skills, decreasing interest agricultural skills, decreasing interest

rates and providing long-term flexible rates and providing long-term flexible

credit; reducing household credit; reducing household vulnerability vulnerability

to shocks, especially related to health to shocks, especially related to health

care; increasing lawfulness and peace care; increasing lawfulness and peace

in community,in community,

including enhancing legal protection including enhancing legal protection

for women; promoting agricultural for women; promoting agricultural

diversification; engaging young people diversification; engaging young people

so that they avoid harmful activities so that they avoid harmful activities

(such as violence and use of drugs); (such as violence and use of drugs);

promoting civic engagement and good promoting civic engagement and good

local governance.local governance.

There is also an emerging role for youth as There is also an emerging role for youth as

volunteers. A recent survey of university volunteers. A recent survey of university

students found that 30% had volunteered, students found that 30% had volunteered,

demonstrating that volunteerism is one demonstrating that volunteerism is one

avenue that young people use for gaining avenue that young people use for gaining

valuable work experience that may help valuable work experience that may help

them secure employment in a competitive them secure employment in a competitive

job market (Mysliwiec 2005)job market (Mysliwiec 2005)

““[W]hen youth are positively engaged [W]hen youth are positively engaged through service, research indicates through service, research indicates that social capital and citizenship that social capital and citizenship increase … service fosters trust increase … service fosters trust between citizens and helps develop between citizens and helps develop norm of solidarity and reciprocity norm of solidarity and reciprocity which are essential to stable which are essential to stable communities” Innovations in Civic communities” Innovations in Civic Participation (2004)Participation (2004)

Creating a sincere interest in helping Creating a sincere interest in helping other other

people will provide a more fulfilling life people will provide a more fulfilling life and and

give you the realization that other give you the realization that other people people

sometimes have problems greater than sometimes have problems greater than

yours. yours.

Helping in your community in some Helping in your community in some way will way will

make you also a more caring, make you also a more caring, concerned concerned

person. Success comes from many person. Success comes from many areas! areas!

Remember that everything you give to Remember that everything you give to

others comes back to you tenfold.others comes back to you tenfold.

YouthYouth

YouthYouth

• Age hierarchies strongly influence Age hierarchies strongly influence both the patterns of leadership and both the patterns of leadership and young people’s civic participation, young people’s civic participation, often resulting in youth being often resulting in youth being marginalized and undervalued in marginalized and undervalued in development initiatives.development initiatives.

Cambodia has an overwhelmingly Cambodia has an overwhelmingly young young

population, 38 percent being under 15 population, 38 percent being under 15 years years

old (NIS 2004).old (NIS 2004).

Hierarchy of knowledgeHierarchy of knowledge

Older community-based volunteers Older community-based volunteers

interviewed openly argued that young interviewed openly argued that young

people could not work for community people could not work for community well-well-

being because they “lack knowledge”, being because they “lack knowledge”,

although, when probed, they could not although, when probed, they could not

specify what knowledge would be specify what knowledge would be required.required.

Young people can play a role in Young people can play a role in skills skills

transfer to communities to reach transfer to communities to reach

development goals, such as development goals, such as increasing increasing

access to education or developing access to education or developing new new

agricultural skills.agricultural skills.

Young people could Young people could contribute contribute

significantly to rural significantly to rural development if development if

given the opportunity to do given the opportunity to do so!so!

Quotations…Quotations…

““Youth have also gained Youth have also gained positive effects from positive effects from

volunteer work, such as volunteer work, such as gathering them to educate gathering them to educate

them to be the social them to be the social capital of the community. capital of the community. As a result, the majority of As a result, the majority of

youth in the community youth in the community have changed attitude and have changed attitude and are not involved in drugs, are not involved in drugs, gangs and bad behavior.”gangs and bad behavior.”

““We acknowledge that We acknowledge that helping each other is helping each other is

very important, so very important, so working through working through volunteers is a volunteers is a contribution to contribution to

awareness-raising, awareness-raising, especially for the next especially for the next

generation, so that they generation, so that they can help each other.”can help each other.”

““We challenge youth that We challenge youth that they need to volunteer and they need to volunteer and learn endurance, and it learn endurance, and it equips them so that they equips them so that they can find good jobs. We want can find good jobs. We want to educate youth, because to educate youth, because they are the ones who build they are the ones who build community resources. They community resources. They have the capacity and have the capacity and ability, so that they can ability, so that they can help to reduce bad help to reduce bad activities, and will help to activities, and will help to develop society, to build develop society, to build human resources and build human resources and build social stability.” KYAsocial stability.” KYA

““I want to join so that we I want to join so that we know about society. I know about society. I want to know about the want to know about the projects – for instance, projects – for instance, what they have done. I what they have done. I want to have experience want to have experience so that we can so that we can implement it ourselves.” implement it ourselves.” a volunteer youtha volunteer youth

““I can facilitate in a I can facilitate in a group, feel braver in group, feel braver in sharing ideas and be sharing ideas and be

patient in difficult work, patient in difficult work, because I have had because I have had

difficulties before in the difficulties before in the club’s work.” club’s work.”

a volunteer youtha volunteer youth

““Since I joined the club, I Since I joined the club, I feel more confident. I feel more confident. I

have met a lot of people have met a lot of people and have a lot of older and have a lot of older

friends. I dare to talk to friends. I dare to talk to people higher up, have people higher up, have understanding about understanding about

drug problems, have take drug problems, have take the lessons about drugs the lessons about drugs and shown them to other and shown them to other

people.” people.”

““Now people in the Now people in the community know how to community know how to respect each other and respect each other and

can help each other. can help each other. Before, they did not Before, they did not

allow their girl children allow their girl children to go and learn, but now to go and learn, but now they let their girls go and they let their girls go and learn.” Commune peace learn.” Commune peace

monitormonitor

““I want my child to learn I want my child to learn a lot so that he can have a lot so that he can have

knowledge and find a knowledge and find a good job in the future…good job in the future…Now my child can read Now my child can read and knows a lot. He can and knows a lot. He can read the writing on the read the writing on the

TV [in English], he reads TV [in English], he reads books at home…I want books at home…I want

my child to go and my child to go and learn.” Parent learn.” Parent

How to get involveHow to get involve

How to get involveHow to get involve

• There are over 600 local and There are over 600 local and international NGOs in Cambodia.international NGOs in Cambodia.

• Observe your communityObserve your community• Go to Cooperation Committee for Go to Cooperation Committee for

Cambodia (CCC) Cambodia (CCC) www.ccc-cambodia.orgwww.ccc-cambodia.org

• Go to yellow pageGo to yellow page• … …

ReferencesReferences

Youth Star Cambodia, Eleanor Brown (2008), Youth Star Cambodia, Eleanor Brown (2008),

Volunteerism: harnessing the potential to develop Volunteerism: harnessing the potential to develop

CambodiaCambodia

Carol B. Evans (2005), Carol B. Evans (2005), Volunteerism and hobbiesVolunteerism and hobbies

Wikipedia.org (2008), Wikipedia.org (2008), VolunteerismVolunteerism

Globalteer.org (2008), Globalteer.org (2008), Volunteer in CambodiaVolunteer in Cambodia