Issues and Terminology

Venue: FNB Conference and Learning Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: Monday, 18 October, 2011

VOLUNTEER ACTION

Volunteering

Civic Service

Youth volunteering Community-based

volunteering Corporate support for

volunteer action International

volunteering Higher education

community engagement

VOLUNTEERING

“Acts of one’s own free will, not obligated by

law, contract or academic requirements; not

done primarily for financial gain; and for

common good or community well-being.” (UN General Assembly Resolution 56/38)

VOLUNTEERING CONT.

“The reality in Southern Africa is different than in other parts of the world. (VSO-RAISA; 2011)Volunteering often occurs in resource limited

settings under extremely difficult conditions.Expectation of financial or material compensationVolunteering is primarily undertaken to show

solidarity

VOLUNTEERING CONT.

“Volunteering is a civic act, one that, ideally, is driven by a volunteer’s sense of ‘belonging’ within a particular civic community. It is an act of social citizenship if you will.”

(Obadare; 2011)

CIVIC SERVICE

“Civic service can be defined as formal voluntary or mandatory engagement through structured programmes, operated by private, civil society or public organisations, designed both to develop those providing service and improve social and economic conditions.”

(Moore McBride & Sherraden, 2007)

VOLUNTEERING AND SERVICE

Volunteering and service activities vary in duration and structure, from ad hoc or occassional volunteering at one end of the spectrum to structured and intensive civic service programmes at the other (Moore McBride et al, 2003)

These activities and programmes also vary in purpose – from charitable or philanthropic service activities to those that aim for social transformation (CIVICUS, IAVE and UNV, 2009).

VOLUNTEER ACTION CONTINUM

Note: These categories are not mutually exclusive

and may overlap

Mutual aid

Self helpCharity

PhilanthropyCivic

engagementSocial

activism