Volunteer now...but think how. #InternationalVolunteerDay2021

Yesterday was International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development. The theme this year is “Volunteer Now for our common good”

As many of you know, The Walk Humbly Initiative was started out of a desire to see International volunteering done better. Research has consistently shown that without an integrated and relational approach to volunteering, we risk doing harm for communities and harming ourselves as we reinforce our own stereotypes, prejudices and sense of compassion fatigue and inertia.

However, I say all of that as someone who has been involved in both local and international volunteering for nearly my whole life. So I also deeply believe that volunteering can be something that benefits the common good and draws us into a deeper understanding of who we are and who others are.

So with that in mind, I have decided to adapt the UN’s slogan for this year to make it “Volunteer Now for our common good, but think about how.”

As you probably know, I could dive into this topic for hours (and do through the Rok Kern workshops), so in order to not take up too much of your Monday morning, I thought I would link to an article that my husband wrote a few years ago and an article that was written about him, as a reminder and encouragement that with a little bit of reflection and preparation it is possible for international volunteering to make a positive contribution to economic and social development.

Our philosophy of volunteering (by Erin Foley about Chris): https://www.childreninfamilies.org/a-volunteer-story-willingness-to-learn-and-building-capacity/

The whys of both Rok Kern and the Walk Humbly Initiative (this one is mine): https://www.childreninfamilies.org/volunteering-harmful-or-helpful/

How to do short-term volunteering well (by Chris): https://www.childreninfamilies.org/amy-volunteering-short-term/

What ways have you seen volunteering being done well?

Stacie