Drive to promote volunteer spirit across our nation
The year 2011 will mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nations International Year of the Volunteer, and the committee will start meeting this month to reflect on how the designated year can best be celebrated in Seychelles.
The year of the volunteer was designated as a key way to highlight the importance of volunteerism to a country’s socio-economic development.
To mark the 10th anniversary, the UN will be stressing its importance once again as a means of giving countries a development boost, no matter what their level of progress.
The UN has emphasised, however, that for volunteerism to be successful it has to be organised within a structured context and it is the role of governments to provide this framework.
The new committee aims to:
- Promote volunteerism among all sections of the population, stressing that everyone can contribute;
- Enhance the effectiveness of volunteerism as a complement to government-driven development;
-Promote the spirit of sharing and of giving something back to society – the spirit of asking what we can do for our country rather than what our country can do for us;
- Mobilise NGO groups to focus efforts on issues of pressing national concern, enhancing the partnership between the NGO sector and the government;
- Mobilise institutions into promoting the ideals of volunteerism – eg schools, the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces, police etc;
- Promote volunteerism among large companies as part of a strong socio-corporate ethic.
It will propose programmes and activities to be carried out in 2011 as a joint action plan between NGOs and the government.
The committee comprises chairperson Colette Servina and members Kevin Vidot, National Youth Council; Bernadette Sifflore, President’s Award Scheme; Eline Moses, Lungos; John Marie, Seychelles Scout Association; Norlys Rose, liaison with the communities and the churches; Raymonde Lavigne, liaison with the elderly and community groups; Michel Pierre, JjSpirit Foundation.