United Nations Volunteers Definition of Volunteering Adeline Aubry CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist United Nations Development Programme June 2009

How have you volunteered the first time? What did you do? How did it benefit others? How did you benefit from the experience?

How would you define “Volunteering”?

three criteria for volunteering 1.It is undertaken of one’s own free will. 2.It is not undertaken primarily for financial gain. 3.It brings benefits to a third party as well as to the people who volunteer.

an invisible resource: unmanaged & managed volunteering Unformal volunteering is the spontaneous and sporadic helping that takes place between friends and neighbors. It is the dominant form of volunteering in many cultures. Formal volunteering takes place through organizations in the nonprofit, public and private sectors, and tends to be more organized and regular.

four types of volunteering 1.Mutual aid, also called self-help. 2.Philanthropy or service to others. 3.Campaigning and advocacy. 4.Participation and self-governance.

a definition of volunteering Volunteering is a form of social behaviour undertaken freely which benefits the community and society at large as well as the volunteer, and which is not driven by financial considerations.

Everybody can be a volunteer! William ‘Weazrock’ Huezo, a former street gang member, volunteered to help youth in El Salvador break the cycle of violence.

thank you Adeline Aubry CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist United Nations Development Programme June 2009