Abstract: This article provides an overview of services and features on the WorldVolunteerWeb.org volunteering web portal; it also provides a brief history of the project. It focuses on news and information, statistics and research, organizations and networking services. Looking at International Volunteer Day 2003, it provides a quick overview while inviting readers to visit the volunteering portal and get involved.
If you are looking for news, information, and resources about volunteering around the world, then you should visit the WorldVolunteerWeb.org. It is a global volunteering portal where stakeholders share resources and knowledge to strengthen volunteerism worldwide.
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The United Nations General Assembly, in Resolution A/RES/57/106 "Invites the United Nations Volunteers to develop a global Internet volunteer resource based on the International Year of Volunteers web site and on national websites with a view to enhancing network capabilities and to expanding information, knowledge and resource management, and encourages Governments and all stakeholders, in particular the private sector, to contribute on a voluntary basis to this initiative;" |
The WorldVolunteerWeb.org provides the latest news about volunteerism and volunteering activities around the world. Daily highlights are available in the news section while the most recent content is featured on the front page. The events calendar lists major happenings and opportunities around the world. Global volunteerism campaigns, such as Global Youth Service Day, Make a Difference Day, and International Volunteer Day, to name a few, are important events that contribute to global development through mobilizing volunteers and highlighting volunteerism. These events are regularly featured on the portal. Throughout the site, you will find documents on all sorts of volunteerism topics. The document li
brary offers a convenient way of searching documents by theme, while the national profiles offers content relevant to countries. For those who would like to keep abreast of voluntary sector developments, but may not always have time to visit the portal, the Global Volunteer Update is sent out monthly with a summary of
last month's top news, postings, and upcoming events. It brings news from organizations around the world to a global audience and anyone wishing to subscribecan register for free on the portal.
The WorldVolunteerWeb.org provides information about volunteering laws and policies in various countries as well as resources for volunteering policy makers and advocates. The policy and legislation section contains volunteerism policy documents, resolutions, legislation, governmental speeches, an
d official reports. Divided into international, regional, and national materials, this section provides examples of volunteerism related legislation and policy that may support the development of national legislation. Furthermore, the national profiles, which highlight content by country, also provide a list of UN re
solutions endorsed by each nation. Users can look up UN resolutions related tovolunteerism that their country may have already committed to. When dealing with national volunteerism issues, these resolutions add weight to policy or legislative discussions by underscoring national commitments that have already been made vis-à-vis the General Assembly.
The research section provides statistics, links to research institutions and volunteering journals. This section contains volunteer studies and tool-kits that can help you quantify the impact of volunteerism. Of particular interest is the Measuring Volunteering Toolkit that outlines how to undertake a national audit of voluntary impacts. It has remained a top download since it was launched by UN Volunteers and the Independent Sector in 2001.
Apart from academic and political resources, the global volunteering portal provides a platform to showcase the global diversity of volunteerism. The initiatives section provides the 'heart and soul' of the portal. With over 3,000 volunteer related photos, poetry, stories, and songs about volunteerism, there are many inspirational resources available. Fifteen songs are available in CD quality, free to download. For other contents, the names of contributors are posted should anyone wish to ask the owners for permission to use any of these materials.
Serving as a meeting point for organizations and individuals involved in volunteerism, the volunteering portal provides networking services forthe global volunteering community. Through the national profiles, International Volunteer Day networks, and Global Volunteer Update newsletter, the portal highlights volunteer initiatives worldwide and provides links to volunteering organizations undertaking noteworthy activities. By sharing information and resources, volunteer organizations in one part of the world can help organizations in another.
Each year, during the lead up to 5 December, the WorldVolunteerWeb.org serves as the global focal point for International Volunteer Day (IVD), a celebration designated by the United Nations General Assembly. The portal hosts a wide range tools and resources for volunteer managers and advocates, such as planning sheets, press releases, the official IVD logo, and posters--some of the many resources available to be downloaded.
Please explore this wonderful volunteerism resource at www.worldvolunteerweb.org.
Biography: Brian Cugelman is the Web Master for the WorldVolunteerWeb.org, a volunteering web portal managed by the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV). He joined the UNV in 1999 to conduct Internet-based campaigning and web technology development for the International Year of Volunteers 2001. Prior to joining the UNV, he worked in the technology and non-profit sectors, working as a campaign coordinator and technology consultant.