21st International Association for Volunteer Effort, World Volunteer Conference Singapore 24-26 January 2011 Address by Mr Tadateru Konoé, President 1
Mr Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Kang-Hyun Lee, President, International Association for Volunteer Effort, Mr Stanley Tan, Chairman, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests. It is a pleasure to be here with you in Singapore for the the 21st World Volunteer Conference organized by the International Association for Volunteer Effort, and to have the opportunity to address so many dedicated volunteers from across the world. This is the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers and the 40th anniversary of the International Association for Volunteer Effort. It is a time to congratulate all volunteers for the energy and commitment they bring to their communities, and to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism. It is a time to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones. And, as identified by the organizers of this conference, this is also a time for all volunteer-led organizations and governments to look critically at how they support and nurture the people who give so freely of their time and talent to help build a better world. Volunteerism is the essence, and the power, of humanity, and it is a hugely important driver of social, economic and political development. The theme of this conference, Volunteering to change the world is very close to the heart of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the world s largest humanitarian network. We are known for our work responding to disasters and health crises large and small across the world, but we also engage in long-term recovery and development activities. There are one hundred and eighty six Red Cross and Red Crescent societies across the world, and the activities of each and every society are driven by skilled, effective and committed volunteers who work at the community level. Our societies, and the International Federation 2
itself, are also governed by volunteers. The Red Cross Red Crescent therefore is a truly voluntary organization, with volunteerism running from the grassroots to the highest levels of governance. Voluntary service is one of the seven Fundamental Principles that inform and underpin the work of the Red Cross Red Crescent, and which set us apart from other civil society organizations. The Red Cross idea was born in 1859, when Henry Dunant, a young Swiss businessman, came upon the scene of a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy. Some 40,000 men lay dead or dying on the battlefield and the wounded were lacking medical attention. Dunant mobilized local villagers to provide basic medical attention to the wounded, regardless of what side they had been fighting for. Some of the gravely wounded were beyond help, but they did not spend their final moments alone or uncomforted. Dunant, and the villagers he mobilized, were our first humanitarian volunteers. Today, the Red Cross Red Crescent has more than 13 million active volunteers delivering disaster relief and development services worldwide. A recent study commissioned by the Red Cross Red Crescent, titled The value of volunteers, reveals that our volunteers contributed six billion US dollars worth of services in 2010 alone. This is the equivalent of almost one US dollar per person on the planet. And the social benefits go well beyond the strictly measured financial benefits. There are 20 Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers for every one member of staff, which means that the work we do is magnified many times over thanks to our community-based volunteer workforce. These volunteers reach around 30 million people annually in disasters alone, and even more through development initiatives such as health promotion, disaster preparedness work and anti-discrimination programmes - that reach vulnerable people every day. Our survey on The value of volunteers has shown that more than a third of our active volunteers deliver health services in their communities. This is an important contribution to the 3
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, which will be discussed in detail by this conference. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, Red Cross volunteers have been able to protect more than two million people from polio by allaying fears about the safety of the vaccines and administering it in even the most isolated communities. In Kazakhstan, Red Crescent volunteers work with vulnerable people suffering from tuberculosis, and support them throughout their treatment for the disease, helping to prevent the spread of multi-drug resistant strains of TB. Here in Singapore, Red Cross volunteers play a vital role in recruiting voluntary blood donors. Young volunteers are also actively involved in providing first aid support at community sports events, and in bringing smiles to lonely elderly by organizing weekly activities that foster intergenerational dialogue. Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers live in the communities they serve, and are present before, during and after a disaster or health crisis. They have the greatest of reasons to invest in how their community recovers, because they will still be there, giving freely of their time and skills, long after the world s attention has moved elsewhere. Many of our volunteers have been part of the Red Cross Red Crescent family for decades. They have seen how their community has grown and changed, for better or worse, and they have an intuitive understanding of what development activities are needed and will be appropriate. Our volunteers promote social inclusion and a culture of peace by changing mindsets and attitudes, and creating collective social responsibility to make the changes work for the good of all. They contribute to cross-generational dialogue and bridge divides between religions and cultures. They quietly challenge discrimination wherever it is encountered, for example addressing HIV stigma in southern Africa, or domestic violence in urban districts of Kingston, Jamaica. This is how our volunteers are changing the world. 4
This conference has brought together many disparate volunteer organizations and groups from around the globe, and you as volunteers are all changing the world in many different ways. Your energy is needed more than ever in the light of today s humanitarian challenges. If these challenges are to be met and addressed successfully, voluntary networks, governments and civil society groups will have to invest in volunteers their training, safety, well-being and motivation. At this conference, we will identify the gaps and obstructions that may prevent volunteers from serving safely and effectively. We will share best practices, and explore opportunities for greater collaboration in furthering the volunteering agenda in this decade and beyond. And we will initiate and expand partnerships that will allow us to further our shared aim of a more caring and peaceful world. Ladies and gentlemen, How will we, as civil society organizations and the voluntary sector, achieve this? The Red Cross Red Crescent has chosen to advocate around three pillars of volunteering protect, recognize, promote and ask that other volunteering organizations join us in doing so. We are advocating for a legislative framework that ensures that the principle of volunteerism is well understood and appreciated by national and local authorities, so that all voluntary organizations can operate efficiently and safely, and their work as drivers of community mobilization and resilience is safeguarded and properly utilized. We ask that governments worldwide create greater protection for volunteers by identifying and closing gaps in their laws and policies relating to issues such as liability, insurance, and health and safety. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the community and must not be placed at unnecessary risk in the course of their duties or activities. We will use the research and evidence generated by our study on The value of volunteers to raise awareness of the tremendous economic and social benefits that volunteers bring, and the 5
gains that governments, civil society and other partners can achieve when they engage volunteers. And we are using the opportunity provided by the International Year of Volunteers to run a global campaign called Find the volunteer inside you to promote the spirit of volunteerism in society at large. Ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests, Volunteers give so much to society their time, skills, intelligence, compassion and energy. They are drivers of much-needed economic and social growth, and they are the power of humanity. We, as leaders of voluntary organizations, must do more to guide and support them, and ensure that their efforts are achieving the greatest possible impact. Let us come together in partnership this year and work hard to not only celebrate volunteerism, but to call for all volunteers to be protected, recognized and promoted. The Red Cross Red Crescent s global network is with you all the way. Thank you for your attention. I wish you an inspirational and enriching conference, and I look forward to hearing your own stories and learning from your experiences. Thank you very much. 6