2011 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report

Launch of the 2011 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report: Universal Values for Global Well-being.

The report is availble here.

Core messages

1) New Development Architecture
- Volunteerism should become an integral part of the New Development Consensus
- Volunteer action is essential for the way forward
- People-centred approaches and partnership are key to delivering on the sustainable development agenda

2) Well-being
- Well-being should be an essential part of a New Development Architecture
- Discourse on well-being has to recognize the reciprocal values of volunteerism

3) Measuring and universality of volunteerism
- Reliable data and the addressing of misconceptions are vital for moving volunteerism forward
- There is a pressing need to compare and benchmark volunteerism at regional and global levels

Additional messages

1) Volunteerism in the 21st Century
- New forms of volunteerism contribute significantly to Human Development
- New opportunities to volunteer are excellent news for the social fabric of our societies

2) Sustainable livelihoods and social inclusion
- Volunteerism plays an important role in overcoming barriers
- Links beyond the community are needed to tackle poverty and supportive legislation is required to eliminate social exclusion

3) Violent conflict and disasters
- Volunteer action is an essential asset in the face of war and disaster
- Volunteer action increases the resilience of societies and reduces the impact of violent conflict