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~ April 2005 ~ Topics

• Global News on Volunteerism
• Volunteerism is on the Rise
• A Global View on Volunteering

The United Nations Volunteer office is providing access to its Global Volunteer Update in three languages. The newsletter is an overview of volunteering from around the world. Here are the addresses.

In English: http://newsletter.worldvolunteerweb.org/index000071273.cfm
In Spanish: http://newsletter.worldvolunteerweb.org/index000071833.cfm
In French: http://newsletter.worldvolunteerweb.org/index000071825.cfm

A recent study by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans shows a rise in the number of American adults reporting volunteer activities. The survey of 1,002 US adults was based on telephone interviews.

57% of US adults report volunteering in 2004. This is an increase of 9% from 2003. 75% said personal moral values were the main reason for volunteering. 68% of volunteers were college graduates. 62% had an income higher than $75,000 last year. 47% said the motivation to volunteer came from wanting new experiences. 50% of those surveyed said that giving time was more beneficial than donating money. 20% said donating money was more important than giving time as a volunteer. Percent of volunteering differed by region: 62% in the South; 60% in the Midwest; 54% in the West; and 49% in the North.

Volunteering worldwide is being impacted by ten trends, according to Foster Murphy of Charitable Futures, as outlined in a recent article in Voluntary Action. Murphy maintains that, "Volunteering does not stand still, and is directly affected by changes in the environment in which it takes place." Here is a brief overview of his ideas of what is impacting volunteering throughout the world.

1. A growing level of need, which is characterized by the gap between rich and poor, and north and south, especially when viewed from a global perspective.

2. An era of uncertainty and disorder. One key area of this is in the tension between globalization and traditional nation state approaches, especially in economic areas.

3. The crisis of HIV/AIDS is disabling entire communities. The disease influences such things as employment, family structures, and the long term health of nations because it so often impacts the young.

4. Youth is again on the march with the number of young people increasing in proportion to the overall population.

5. At the same time the number of youth is on the rise, the number of senior citizens is on the rise especially in Northern countries, most notably in Japan.

6. The role of government in addressing human and social problems is changing.

7. Religion is playing a visible role, with increasing influence in world affairs.

8. Globalization is a reality and so pervasive it is impossible to ignore.

9. Technology is impacting the way people communicate and conduct their daily lives.

10. The growth of civil society and volunteering is also increasing expectations about participation.

From: "Trends affecting the development of volunteering worldwide: An overview." Foster Murphy, Voluntary Action, Volume 6, Number 3, Autumn 2004