This is an important question that in the Pacific we often ask ourselves? And there have been many stories which speak to this. In a region facing the challenges of climate change and increase in natural disasters, non-communicable diseases, impacts of the COVID-19 on society, political instability, creating a volunteer movement to be the change and demonstrate the change which leads to inclusive society is important. We have also begun to discuss resilient societies and the impact resilient volunteers make.

Hi, this is Tania academic and researcher on volunteering in the arab world...I am really enjoying this discussion...when reading the title of this discussion, the first thing that comes to my mind is the role of volunteers in helping the marginalized society and provide them with opportunities to access their rights...these volunteers should work on building trust with the marginalized community and at the same time advocate for their rights

Hi this is Simo, based in Kathmandu and I am the co-founder of a small not for profit called ENGAGE. For me it is essential to go back to the concept of volunteering “continuum”, where actually there are several ways of thinking and considering volunteerism. One first question I would ask would be the following: Among such typologies, which ones are likely or more probably able to first attract members of vulnerable groups into volunteering and enable them to be part of equation? Even more importantly is asking what are the perceptions and understanding of such members towards volunteerism. It is really about, I think, having an honest conversation with those “we” feel should be part of what I hope, one day, will become a real global movement. One key point for me is also to present and introduce volunteerism as a real enabler, as a personal development tool, a leadership tool that can really help a person to “enrich” herself and get equipped with new skills, new experience. This could be one entry point for this conversation with those we suppose should be more involved and more engaged: thinking of volunteerism as a personal leadership journey. I guess that if this might attract an average youth from a middle income family ( my focus is on youth but of course, we know that the conversation is much broader and well, inclusive), then a disadvantaged youth should be equally or even more interested to join a cause, putting her time for it. What are the barriers for this journey? Several, we know about them. We should start with a very specific commitment by civil society organizations towards making volunteerism more inclusive and here also small actions can count. In practice, this might simply involve a tailored made intent to reach out those youth who are can contribute but are not being enable doing so. It can, of course, also involves specific programs where more privileged kids and those who are less so can make a volunteering journey together. After all, volunteering is an equalizer, isn’t? Here everyone is responsible, civil society organizations, private sector (think of the potential of mentoring that sounds so much a western concept imposed from somewhere overseas but mentoring, or a conversation about it, could really be transformative, especially if mentoring becomes more and more like a coaching like interaction, focused on the development of the mentee/coachee). Designing programs that allow to volunteer, to do some work in the community with a strong learning component attached to it can also be transformative. Lastly another way is providing small pocket money. Isn’t’ ridiculous that some of us are paid to volunteer but then it is a problem to fund and support programs that enable disadvantaged youth to volunteer. Here the proposition or the goal should not focused on starting right away with ‘full time” experiences but slowly getting to find ways to embed volunteerism as a way of living that is actually the way it should be, the key way.
Then and with this then I wrap up, there is a focus on civic engagement that is instrumental for this idea of new social contract. Volunteerism is one of the best expressions of such civic engagement and it is all about finding ways to make it easier for people to participate, to be involved. At the end of the day the traditional concept of volunteering as doing something for others, can be a vehicle to different type of actions that bring a person closer and actually, eventually, part of the policy making seen as a duty of active citizenship. This is a concept that I had already elaborated in this knowledge community so I stop here.

Choice is at the core of volunteering. The choice we make to volunteer. The difference we choose to make to help shape the world we want to live in. Together. Together with other volunteers. Together with the communities we are part of.

States need to incorporate volunteers as part of the development process, to my idea this will help ease the work and provide a broader sphere for volunteers to be effective

Hello I am Jurgen. I am an academic, a researcher and a volunteer. In 1948 William Beveridge, a British politician and social reformer said that Voluntary Action means private action "not under the direction of any authority wielding the power of the State". He went on to say that the "independence of Voluntary Action does not mean lack of co-operation between it and public action." The challenge we are seeing around the world is how to best enable that co-operation to build equal and inclusive societies together.

Welcome to this discussion! I am Chris Millora, Lead Researcher/Author of this year's UNV State of the World's Volunteerism Report and I am pleased to co-moderate this exchange with Jurgen Grotz of the Institute for Volunteering Research and Jane Muthumbi of UN Volunteers. This discussion anticipates the release of this year's SWVR that explores how volunteerism can help build equal and inclusive societies.

In many communities around the world, we see that inequalities continue to widen. The gap between the rich and the poor is stretched. The current COVID crisis and the climate emergency have further enhanced these divisions. The relationship between people and state authorities and institutions are being reconfigured in light of these challenges. New ways of working between people and states are also emerging such as deliberative governance mechanisms, co-production and social innovation. What can volunteerism offer in building societies founded on equity and inclusion? Particularly, how can volunteerism help develop a more inclusive relationship between volunteers and states?

We welcome your ideas, comments and experiences and we invite you to also post questions for others. Let us start the conversation as we await this year's SWVR!