IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering for Social Inclusion Sustaining Active Citizenship

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty What is Volunteering ? Centuries old phenomenon Concepts of empathy and altruism are key components of volunteering Desire to make a contribution to the community Different communities – interest based,cultural, gender, localities

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Active Citizenship Support and become involved in different types of voluntary and community activities Respect and listen to those with different views from their own Play their part in making decisions on issues that affect themselves and others, in particular by participating in the democratic process Respect ethnic and cultural diversity and are open to change Welcome new people who come to Ireland (Task Force Report 2007)

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering –Policy Context White Paper on Rural Development 1999 Programme for Prosperity and Fairness 2000 White Paper on Supporting Voluntary Activity 2000 Tipping the Balance 2002 Volunteers and Volunteering in Ireland 2005 The Taskforce on Active Citizenship 2006

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering Profile – Census 2006 Age- majority of volunteers fall into the (22% men and women) and (22% Men and 21% women) age categories Social Class – acute lack of volunteers from the lower social classes (unskilled) and the predominance of volunteers from the upper and middle classes

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering Profile – Census 2006 contd.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering Profile –Voluntary Management Committees Research into South and Mid-West Community Development and Family Support Management Committees,2007/8-Veronica Bon SMWCDSA Summary of Findings Predominantly - Female (73%),white/Irish (81%),45-55 (35%), married (80%), have children (75%), educated to third level (60%), RCs (88%), In Paid Employment (45%),Private Home Owners (74%),Town Dwellers (36%).

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering Profile –Continued Persons with a disability 18% Ethnic minorities 3% Members of the travelling community 5% Local authority housing residents 17% Unemployed 4.2% Parenting alone 11%

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Volunteering Profile- Target Groups for Social Inclusion on Management Committees, Pictorial Summary:

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Re-Inventing Volunteering A sense of duty propels people into voluntary activity. Making fulfilment of duty attractive in a society where a supreme value is accorded to the right to enjoy the profits of private enterprise is not going to be easy. The values of a market driven economy where both partners work are not compatible with having the time or moral courage to give to the community. Impetus for a re-invigorated volunteering dimension to citizenship can be generated if the proposition that people’s social networks are a valuable national asset is accepted by the government and manifested through policies which acknowledge the importance of different kinds of voluntary activity.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Civic Service Volunteers Civic service volunteers are engaged in needed public work promoting social justice and creating opportunities which advance cross-cultural understanding. Civic service volunteers are frequently called upon to initiate and organize responses to unmet social needs which are not being addressed by mainstream service provision. Frequently this kind of volunteering approximates to a full time job. For example a volunteer on the board of management of a school or family centre is charged with the same responsibilities as any employer- in terms of recruiting / managing staff, financial control. Civic service volunteers find themselves plugging the gaps in the state’s social protection frameworks. Their efforts prevent the social fabric unravelling. However civic service volunteers should be complementing direct public service provision rather than substituting for it.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Recognising the Pivotal Role of Civic Service Volunteers giving tax credits to people who engage in voluntary civic service at local, national,international and transnational levels in the following arenas- Boards of Managements of Schools, Community Centre/Family Support Centres, Overseas Community Development Programmes, Youth Work, Older Citizens Agencies/Organizations, Special Needs Agencies/Organizations etc. giving time off work to people who engage in voluntary civic service. giving career recognition to people who engage in voluntary civic service providing training /education opportunities for people who engage in voluntary civic service. providing educational credits for students engaging in voluntary civic service.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Cultural/Recreational Volunteers Participating in cultural and recreational activities with other people can help to overcome barriers of mistrust which impede the formation of social capital. Research exists (Robson 2003) which indicates that people who participate in culture and recreational activities are also more likely to participate in society in other ways. This kind of voluntary activity can be achieved through the creation of participation ladders which facilitate movement through a series of steps.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Participation Ladders for Cultural /Recreational Volunteering involvement as a cultural/recreational doer – somebody who takes part in cultural/recreational activities involvement as a cultural/recreational volunteer- helping to run or organize cultural/recreational activities involvement as a cultural/recreational leader- helping to lead and govern cultural organizations and determine priorities for cultural/recreational provision and spending.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Differences Between Voluntary Work with Hard to Reach Groups and Cultural/Recreational Work There are qualitative differences between voluntary effort focused on hard -to -reach groups (marginalized young people, immigrants socially excluded communities, the disabled) and voluntary work with large scale mainstream semi commercialised bodies (GAA, Galway Arts Festival). Participation in mainstream cultural/recreational voluntary activities is attractive because it boosts credentialed human capital levels (thereby enhancing career prospects) through social and leisure networks. By comparison the return on voluntary effort with hard- to-reach groups in present day Ireland is meagre.

IT TraleeDr. Colm O’Doherty Measures Required to Encourage Volunteering for Cultural/Recreational Work time off work to people who engage in cultural /recreational volunteering with hard-to-reach groups career recognition to people who engage in cultural/recreational volunteering with hard-to- reach groups training /education opportunities for people who engage in cultural/recreational volunteering with hard-to-reach groups providing educational credits for students engaging in cultural/recreational volunteering with hard-to-reach groups.