Responses
to July 2008 Hot Topic
A
SECTOR BY EVERY OTHER NAME
Response
posted on July 4, 2008 by Liz Scarfe, Manager, Volunteering
Resources, Villa Maria, Victoria
Hi
Andy – great topic!!
My
brain immediately dives into the fundamentals of social
structure and societal success parameters etc and
the role of service in this.
For
me, part of the spirit of volunteering is that it
is done without coercion, which is probably not a
contentious point. One of the ways I translate this
in my own organization is that I don’t push our programs
to utilize volunteers, I let them come to me.
I
think the same spirit should be invoked when we consider
the ‘volunteering sector’ – if you want to identify
as part of this sector because you see benefit in
doing so, great, but if you don’t, then don’t. I think
we need to follow the signals from individuals and
groups regarding inclusion – sometimes they will be
signaling to be included, and sometimes not. We would
just be pushing the proverbial up-hill if we try to
act in the absence of these signals.
I
like the idea of trying to make connections with those
not already identifying as being part of the sector,
but only in ways that directly supports their work
(i.e. training for Sports Coaches in working with
parent volunteers) not in ways that take their time
from their main task i.e. by trying to get them involved
in the bureaucracy of the sector (memberships in this
that and the other, newsletters coming in from every
angle etc). We don’t want to make contributing to
your community too hard by making it an “industry”
where participation is a one-size-fits-all model.
I
also want to defend community volunteer activities
being in “bubbles”, as you put it. There is so much
rhetoric about being connected, networked, partnerships
etc but all this takes a lot of time and resources,
which can lead to the primary goal of groups being
compromised. Localisation is not a bad thing.
I
also don’t think a better capture of the ‘volunteering
impact’ will necessarily lead to more funding/grants
etc. I think it serves to validate the volunteer
management profession however I don’t think the profession
needs to be everywhere that volunteering happens.
There are many amazing volunteering activities that
happen perfectly well without volunteer managers and
would in-fact be hampered by the introduction of formal
management. I am not sure that it is the value of
volunteers that is undervalued in our society, but
the value of formalizing volunteering and the need
for so much management of it that is in question. There
are of course many volunteering environments where
formal management is essential but I think we can
get a bit carried away with thinking that all volunteering
contexts must therefore need it.
So
do I think it matters whether the work of volunteers
is titled volunteering , no I don’t always. Sometimes
it is important to label it so, and other times, it
can just be people living their lives and contributing
to their community. Long-live informal volunteering!!
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