2011 - International Year of Volunteering +10

2001 was proclaimed as the International Year of Volunteering to enhance the recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteer service.  Follow-up reports led the General Assembly to call for the marking of the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10).  Preparations are now underway at national and global level on activities to celebrate IYV+10 in 2011.

WAGGGS, as the leading voluntary organization for girls and young women in the world, is one of the international stakeholders contributing to the development of activities taking place during the year, which will be officially launched on 5th December 2010.  As preparations continue, we will regularly update this page with the latest news and resources to help you get involved at national level. 

WAGGGS is also participating in the European Year of Volunteering, also taking place in 2011 – for more information, click here

What are the aims of the year?

Celebrate volunteering as a way of building respect, trust, understanding and solidarity and share a common vision of volunteering;

Raise volunteerism on the development agenda, especially its contribution to the achievement of the MDGs;

Build partnerships;

Define national volunteer agendas as a means to creating an enabling environment for volunteers, through the development of volunteering policies, legislation and other infrastructure. 

You can find the Global Call for Action, Vision Statement, brochure and powerpoint about the year on the IVY+10 website.

How you can get involved

As we celebrate “100 years of changing lives,” IYV+10 will be an important opportunity to highlight the opportunity to showcase the contribution made by 1.5 million Girl Guide and Girl Scout volunteers around the world to the development of girls and young women, and WAGGGS calls on its Member Organizations to get involved in the activities and celebrations to mark this anniversary.  Here are some ways you can already get involved: 

  1. Join or help set up the National Committee which will bring together actors from the government, civil society and the private sector to organize activities for the year.
  2. Raise awareness of IVY+10 on your website, featuring a link to the World Volunteer Web, or highlighting events you are organizing to mark IYV+10
  3. Volunteer online for IYV+10.  Visit www.onlinevolunteering.org for opportunities to sup-port IYV+10 activities. Go to the ‘Opportunity Search’ and type ‘IYV+10’ in the keyword field.