Volunteers are important to any country’s development - Minister Anthony
-as report on analyzing volunteerism launched
Georgetown, GINA, November 01, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony addresses the gathering while at the head table are Coordinator, Community Based Rehabilitation, Geraldine Maison Halls, United Nations Volunteers -Guyana, Programme Officer, Michiro Ito and Country Director – Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Kim West
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, VSO-Guyana and UN Volunteers, together, launched a report which focused on an analysis of volunteering in Guyana, and feasibility study of volunteering support platform, today at the Umana Yana. The study originated out of the increasing recognition that volunteerism plays an important role in Guyana’s development.
The research looks at the roots of volunteerism and provides a situational assessment that shows the contribution of volunteerism to social development goals and provides a portrait of volunteering across the full demographic spectrum. The research also highlights the organisations in Guyana that have integrated volunteering into their projects and programmes.
The report found that the strengths of volunteerism are passion and commitment. It is a good example of developing networks; it’s a massive contributor to development goals. Some of the concerns arising out of the study include immature support infrastructure, vulnerable sector, no specific legislation to enable the use of volunteers, lack of coordination, recruitment and retention, and diaspora support.
Several of the recommendations include the development of infrastructure to support volunteers, strengthen thematic local and regional support networks, promote volunteerism, offer capacity building, focus on youths, include all regions and support the grassroots.
“We recognise that volunteers are important to any country’s development and very often the work of volunteers are not properly quantified and there is an attempt to do that type of quantification … what kind of volunteering is happening, how can we quantify it and there are other parameters that we would have looked at during this study,” said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.
Dr. Anthony noted that volunteering is not new to Guyana since it has a historic background and highlighted two events where Guyanese volunteers rose to the occasion; Cricket World Cup in 2007 and CARIFESTA in 2009 that were successfully carried out. Guyana was even applauded by the ICC for its over 1000 strong volunteer force.
Volunteers gathered at the Umana Yana for the launch of the Report analysing volunteerism in Guyana
He explained that when the Bahamas undertook to host CARIFESTA they were unable to mobilise the force required for an event of that magnitude, and eventually had to forego hosting the event.
Minister Anthony emphasised that the findings indicate the need for better coordination of efforts so that there is no duplication of work to ensure that volunteerism’s platform is built into a coordinated entity and resources are focused and directed in the most appropriate way.
Outside of those big events there are other small things that people can do to make a difference by working with children, the elderly and women. While such offerings may not be recognised they make a difference in the beneficiaries’ lives. In this regard, Minister Anthony stressed the need for more volunteers but in a more structured way.
Minister Anthony noted that the findings of the research must be put into action and more research conducted.
United Nations Volunteers (UNV)-Guyana, Programme Officer, Michiro Ito noted that volunteers from the organisation have been in Guyana since 1984, and since then about 400 international and national volunteers have been serving in Guyana.
She added that UNV Guyana has also been working closely with government and NGOs in other volunteering organisations in all areas of human development and youth empowerment while Guyana supports UN resolutions on the international year of volunteers and has established a national volunteer day with the full support of government.
-as report on analyzing volunteerism launched
Georgetown, GINA, November 01, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony addresses the gathering while at the head table are Coordinator, Community Based Rehabilitation, Geraldine Maison Halls, United Nations Volunteers -Guyana, Programme Officer, Michiro Ito and Country Director – Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Kim WestThe Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, VSO-Guyana and UN Volunteers, together, launched a report which focused on an analysis of volunteering in Guyana, and feasibility study of volunteering support platform, today at the Umana Yana. The study originated out of the increasing recognition that volunteerism plays an important role in Guyana’s development.
The research looks at the roots of volunteerism and provides a situational assessment that shows the contribution of volunteerism to social development goals and provides a portrait of volunteering across the full demographic spectrum. The research also highlights the organisations in Guyana that have integrated volunteering into their projects and programmes.
The report found that the strengths of volunteerism are passion and commitment. It is a good example of developing networks; it’s a massive contributor to development goals. Some of the concerns arising out of the study include immature support infrastructure, vulnerable sector, no specific legislation to enable the use of volunteers, lack of coordination, recruitment and retention, and diaspora support.
Several of the recommendations include the development of infrastructure to support volunteers, strengthen thematic local and regional support networks, promote volunteerism, offer capacity building, focus on youths, include all regions and support the grassroots.
“We recognise that volunteers are important to any country’s development and very often the work of volunteers are not properly quantified and there is an attempt to do that type of quantification … what kind of volunteering is happening, how can we quantify it and there are other parameters that we would have looked at during this study,” said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.
Dr. Anthony noted that volunteering is not new to Guyana since it has a historic background and highlighted two events where Guyanese volunteers rose to the occasion; Cricket World Cup in 2007 and CARIFESTA in 2009 that were successfully carried out. Guyana was even applauded by the ICC for its over 1000 strong volunteer force.
Volunteers gathered at the Umana Yana for the launch of the Report analysing volunteerism in GuyanaHe explained that when the Bahamas undertook to host CARIFESTA they were unable to mobilise the force required for an event of that magnitude, and eventually had to forego hosting the event.
Minister Anthony emphasised that the findings indicate the need for better coordination of efforts so that there is no duplication of work to ensure that volunteerism’s platform is built into a coordinated entity and resources are focused and directed in the most appropriate way.
Outside of those big events there are other small things that people can do to make a difference by working with children, the elderly and women. While such offerings may not be recognised they make a difference in the beneficiaries’ lives. In this regard, Minister Anthony stressed the need for more volunteers but in a more structured way.
Minister Anthony noted that the findings of the research must be put into action and more research conducted.
United Nations Volunteers (UNV)-Guyana, Programme Officer, Michiro Ito noted that volunteers from the organisation have been in Guyana since 1984, and since then about 400 international and national volunteers have been serving in Guyana.
She added that UNV Guyana has also been working closely with government and NGOs in other volunteering organisations in all areas of human development and youth empowerment while Guyana supports UN resolutions on the international year of volunteers and has established a national volunteer day with the full support of government.