WIAD’S Volunteering and E-Volunteering Event: Lessons Learnt
To honour International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2021, Women in Aid and Development (WIAD) curated a series of events across Australia, entitled ‘Volunteering and E-Volunteering’, delving into the world of volunteering in the aid and development sector. The WIAD teams across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney convened speakers, facilitators and participants to unpack the meaning of volunteering, the do’s and don’ts, and valuable advice.
WIAD assembled an array of experienced and skilful volunteers that have spent the past week offering their time and knowledge to our ‘Volunteering and E-Volunteering’ events. Thank you to Karen Flanagan AM- Save the Children Australia, Claire McClelland- Australian Volunteers Program (AVP), Liz Mackinlay- Australian Business Volunteers, Jawoon Kim- Results Australia, Fiona Goggins- AVP, and Phetdavanh Southonnvong- AVP Laos Country Program Manager, joining us live from Laos.
When deciding that you want to volunteer in the sector, how do you ensure you are making a meaningful difference in the world? Due to the digitised age, a plethora of options are made available for you to volunteer in-person or online, as well as overseas or remotely. Although you can gain easier access, you are now tasked with navigating how exactly you can volunteer in a way that provides sustainable impacts. It is imperative that you understand your roles and responsibilities, as well as the safeguarding principles of the organisation that you may be volunteering with. You should also understand the cultural context of the community or country you are interacting with- this can be done by thorough research, attending cultural training sessions, and dismissing prior prejudices.
“To make an excellent volunteer, you must exemplify passion and commitment. Understand that the work isn’t about yourself, but rather the program, organisation, and the people you are trying to help.”
-Jawoon Kim, Results Australia
The demographics of volunteering is indeed shifting. Once dominated by young people and students, roles are now increasingly undertaken by older, experienced individuals, often years into their career. Claire McClelland- AVP- explains that this is due to the reorientation of skills-based tasks and required working capabilities for volunteering positions that young people and students may not yet possess. Many volunteers are now trained in the areas that they work, and organisations are seeking participants with practice and know-how. In saying this, volunteering remains worthwhile no matter your age or educational background.
Fiona Goggins- AVP- suggests that when applying for a role moving forward, detail your experiences and skills (e.g. admin, data entry, project management etc.) rather than phrases like ‘I will do anything’. Phrases such as these are actually time wasters! If you are a student or young professional that isn’t sure what skills to list, anything will help. For example, organised, results-driven, written communication, and so forth.
‘Volunteering is in Australia’s DNA- as a nation, we volunteer for bushfires, floods, building homes etc.’
-Liz Mackinlay, Australian Business Volunteers
A venture that should be avoided is ‘voluntourism’. This term is a mix between ‘volunteer’ and ‘tourism’, as it is a form of short-term assignments undertaken by travellers that generally last up to eight weeks. You usually have to pay for the experience (ranging a few thousand Australian dollars), and contribute to work that is outside of your skill set. Despite your best intentions, voluntourism has proved to be more harmful than good. A prime example is ‘orphanage volunteering’, where citizens (usually from rich, developed nations) travel to low-income countries and volunteer for a short period of time before moving on. Karen Flanagan AM- Save the Children Australia- confirms that this has been proven to be exploitative of the children in the orphanages, and fails to be sustainable. You can find more on this in Karen’s book, Modern Day Slavery and Orphanage Tourism. Examine who is running a program before signing up- if it is not a well-recognised NGO, avoid it.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has certainly affected international volunteering in more ways than one. However, perhaps to your surprise, it may not be all negative. Certain speakers agree that due to the pandemic, the shift to remote volunteering and e-volunteering has risen due to fewer overseas participants because of travel restrictions. Therefore, voluntourism has steadily decreased. This can be considered to drive a more sustainable landscape for international volunteering, as people realise that you can contribute positively from the comfort of your own home, and avoid short-term, unskilled ventures.
It is important to note that remote volunteering and e-volunteering, whilst advantageous, comes with its own challenges. For example, Catherine Green- Melbourne WIAD Volunteer and Leader- highlights that it may be harder to immerse yourself in the culture of the communities that you are helping, as you are not there to physically join in on the environment. Activities such as socialising with the local people, learning the language in-person, attending cultural events/rituals etc.. The arrangement of e-volunteering may also be disrupted by IT difficulties, like poor internet connection or intermittent electricity. Altogether, when considering your options, it is important to understand this aspect.
“Be open-minded, ready to accept change and come with an attitude of accepting ‘I am not the expert- I am here to share, support and mentor’.”
-Phetdavah Southonnavong, AVP Laos Country Program Manager
Once you have ascertained where, how and why you are volunteering, the next step is to think about how to financially support yourself during the endeavour. Fiona Goggins advises that if you are volunteering remotely, you can contract work in your area of skill, save rental costs by potentially staying with family or friends, apply for Centrelink support, and secure study grants if applicable. Catherine Green points out that you may receive an ‘allowance’ for accommodation and bills (instead of a salary) from the organisation or position that you are volunteering with. In any case, volunteering is extremely rewarding, but you must ensure that you are able to do so without putting yourself at risk.
Altogether, volunteering benefits both the volunteer and the communities that they serve. It is a fantastic way of gaining experience in the sector and getting your foot in the door, no matter if it were overseas, remote, or domestic in Australia. As long as you are passionate, and committed to contributing in meaningful and sustainable ways, then please offer your support to the aid and development sector!