Hot
Topic Archive
August
2005
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Australian
Observations ~ an interview with Susan J Ellis
Andy
Fryar with Susan
J Ellis
This
is the latest in a series of interviews OzVPM has
been conducting with international volunteerism leaders
who have visited the Asia Pacific region. In March
2005, Energize President, Susan J Ellis visited Australia
and Singapore for the third time. She also had the
opportunity to visit New Zealand for the first time
ever and to participate in the inaugural 'Retreat
for Advanced Volunteer Management'
We
caught up with Susan recently to reflect on her 'Pacific
Adventure'
Q1.
This was your third visit to Australia in 5 years.
What are the primary differences you've noted in the
the development of the Australasian volunteerism scene
over that time?
There
have clearly been changes at the top of all the peak
bodies on the state level -- after some earlier stability
-- and this is both a shake-up and an opportunity.
It's interesting how our field is affected by specific
individuals, perhaps because the staff of volunteerism
organizations are usually quite small and one or two
changes therefore drastically alter the chemistry.
On my earlier trips to Australia I was very impressed
by the work the state volunteer centres were doing.
On this trip, I was not sure what will happen next
(which does not mean that great things are not
coming down the road!).
On
the other hand, this was my first visit to Brisbane
and I saw that Volunteering Queensland is doing some
imaginative work in connecting the concept of traditional
volunteering into community development efforts. I
also spent some time looking at their evolving online
data collection effort, which will be a big plus for
statistics.
While
Australasians are Internet-connected and becoming
more of a presence in international Web publications
and discussions, there are still many colleagues who
are not making full use of this incredible resource.
Americans have gravitated to the Web as a way to decrease
the vast geographical distance between us -- it simply
"works" for our networking patterns. The
potential of this form of communication and mobilization
remains to be fully tapped (as one example, it's
still not possible to assume broadband connections,
even in hotel rooms with many foreign guests).
Given your location at the end of the world, eliminating
time and distance should be a very easy sell!
So
I have to say that another change in the Australia
scene is the presence of OzVPM. I note this not only
because Andy and I work together and are friends,
but because I truly believe he is offering his Australiasian
colleagues the most valuable gift of a forum for learning
and exchange. It will only grow over time.
Q2.
On this trip you visited New Zealand for the first
time. Can you share some of you impressions about
the developing NZ volunteerism movement with us?
As always, I was struck by how similar the participant
reactions, questions, and concerns in New Zealand
were to colleagues everywhere. A few things are quite
different, of course. First, living in a country of
only 3.5 million people does mean that there is a
finite number of possible volunteers in the small
communities that are spread out across New Zealand.
Of course, there is a finite number of qualified/available
paid staff, too!
New
Zealand has decriminalized prostitution, enacted stringent
anti-smoking laws, and is very tolerant of homosexuality.
It’s a place that seems traditional and liberal
at the same time.
I
kept hearing about new “health and safety”
regulations and this seems to be the New Zealand version
of the same risk management craze seen everywhere.
The
Maori tribes have always had a more successful relationship
with the European newcomers to New Zealand than native
peoples elsewhere, but it is only in the last decade
or so that legal agreements have been reached to reinstate
the Maori language and cultural traditions side by
side with the dominant English culture. The Maori
(who trace their ancestry to the Pacific Islanders
who also populated Hawaii’) are integrated into
all levels of society including, of course, volunteer
management. But formal, agency-based volunteer activities
still seek ways to engage more Maori, who tend to
view service to community as a natural and informal
extension of family life. In fact, there is a strong
“obligation” to serve – which is
a rough translation of a concept that is more willingly
accepted than reluctantly fulfilled. Recent immigrants
to New Zealand, especially those from Pacific Rim
countries, are visibly expanding the available pool
of volunteers and the way in which service occurs.
The
fascinating thing about my visit to New Zealand is
that apparently this was one of the very first times
the "volunteer community" there worked together
nationally! It was necessary for the volunteer centres
in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland to network
and communicate to make my series of workshops successful.
They succeeded -- and I think they liked it! Also,
Volunteer New Zealand is actively exploring what its
role should be and have just hired a new Executive
Director (who came on board after my trip).
Q3. Another activity
you were heavily involved with on this trip was the
development of the first ever 'Australasian Retreat
for Advanced Volunteer Management'. What were your
impressions about this event and how did this experience
compare with other similar ground breaking events
you've been involved with over the years?
The Retreat, which I was privileged to help plan,
far exceeded even my highest expectations! I know
that I participated in something that will be talked
about for years to come and I count it among the top
ten professional experiences of my career. It was
incredibly hard work, but also wonderful fun.
This
was the first time ever that those who self-identify
with the profession of volunteer management in Australia
met at a national event. There have been national
conferences for volunteering , but never for volunteer
management. So the opportunity to exchange ideas across
state/territory boundaries was exciting to many of
the participants in ways that I, as an American who
is used to such networking, had not understood before
witnessing it.
I
feel that the wide geographic representation, including
colleagues from New Zealand and Singapore, was key
to the success of the event. I am particularly hopeful
about the long-term effect of the Retreat on the still-fledgling
Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators
(AAVA) - see www.aava.asn.au.
Between formal workshop sessions and private conversations
with key AAVA leaders, I think the association was
able to jump past some perceived barriers and several
retreat participants volunteered to serve on AAVA's
board of directors while others committed to get involved
in other ways.
I
have served as a "midwife" to the field
in many places, participating in "first-ever"
events in Ecuador, Japan, South Korea, Singapore,
Sweden, the UK, and of course in Canada and the USA.
I take these opportunities very seriously and always
find it remarkable that the most basic common denominator
among the people in our field is committed optimism
. By this I mean that effective volunteer program
managers anywhere in the world are energetic and enthusiastic,
yes, but also share a vision of a positive future.
I often remark that "no one volunteers for a
cause which they believe cannot succeed." The
same is true for the people who lead these volunteers
forward.
Great
appreciation to Andy and Martin for pioneering both
the Retreat and the subsequent follow-up activities!
Q4.
Can you suggest ways that countries in the Asia Pacific
could work more closely together to strengthen the
movement as a whole in our region?
The first order of business is to get the national
organizations in order. Working together has two levels:
the macro and micro. The micro level is much easier
because any two individuals or more who reach out
to each other across geographic boundaries can find
ways to exchange ideas and collaborate on projects.
So the more those of you in the Asia Pacific region
meet, both online and in person, the more likely that
you will discover ways to work together and that's
great.
To
make sure this happens:
~ Participate fully in the OzVPM listserv. That's
where you will get acquainted and can see when your
perspectives are alike or different.
~
Add collegial visits to your travel plans. Once you
have a few names of colleagues, arrange to do a site
visit as part of a vacation or business trip. Seeing
each other's work sites is a great way to get ideas
for how to collaborate.
~
Attend a volunteerism conference in a different location
-- even in another part of your own country.
~
Join and become active in your national association,
if you have one.
The
macro level is more challenging, but our shared vision
of volunteerism ought to lead the way. First, each
peak body has to want to work together, beyond lip
service. As with all collaborations, it is important
to begin the process both with goals as to what you
want to get, but also with a list of things you can
share. The Australians may be the most organized at
this point, but this brings obligations of mentoring
colleagues in other countries without lapsing into
paternalism. Our governments have NOT learned to do
this, so we might actually teach them something!
I
do have some practical ideas, too:
~ Issue a formal invitation for representatives to
attend -- and present at -- each other's conferences
and make use of these trips to hold productive meetings
as well as learn from your visitors. I know this is
expensive, but maybe a funder would be interested
in enabling this?
~
Write articles for each other's publications.
~
Use the comparatively neutral ground that consultants
like Andy provide to get together without one organization
dominating.
~
Coordinate shared training, just as was done during
my recent tour, and consider pooling resources for
publishing materials and producing audio-visual tools.
~
You are a very diverse part of the world, with so
many different cultures and the strong presence of
native groups. Find ways to share your understanding
of this diversity/multi-culturalism...and then tell
the rest of us, please!
Q5. Are there any other
thoughts or experiences from your most recent trip
you'd like to share?
Regardless of location, it is clear that we in volunteerism
have mutual concerns. Some obvious ones include the
aging of the world population, time-deprived and stressed
workers, the desire of new volunteers for short-term
projects, interest in corporate employee volunteering,
and advocacy for student service-learning. Less expected
for me was the universal issue of risk management,
insurance coverage, and – as the New Zealanders
mentioned in every session I ran – “health
and safety” policies that pose barriers to volunteering.
Also discussed was “crisis fatigue” from
the long string of extraordinary natural disasters,
especially the tsunami that hit this region so hard.
Rebuilding will take many years, yet there is already
evidence that the public is reaching its maximum ability
to give money and time. All of these things drive
the momentum toward professional exchange, as we all
need to work together to find the best ways to adapt
to what is happening around us and affecting volunteers.
No
one in volunteer management is isolated any more unless
they choose to be. While we may still be the only
person in our organization to focus on volunteers,
we are not alone. The Web has made it possible for
us to interact with colleagues everywhere and we are
doing so with generosity and enthusiasm. Our exchange
network grows as the world shrinks.
I
just loved my "Pacific Adventure"! Thanks
for the chance to "relive" it for a bit.
Susan
at the retreat in Canberra with Martin J Cowling (left)
and OzVPM Director Andy Fryar
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not too late to...
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