International Volunteer Day 2020: Together We Can Through Volunteering
Volunteering is a universal act found in many cultures, languages and religions. Each year, millions of volunteers across Victoria help make their communities a better place.
Volunteers continue to play a crucial role in strengthening the social fabric of our communities and their effective deployment can address critical social and economic challenges and natural disasters.
Each year, on 5 December, people around the world celebrate International Volunteer Day to pay tribute to volunteers who give their time and skills to support their communities and through volunteering, gain a greater sense of belonging.
To celebrate International Volunteer Day this year, Volunteering Victoria is pleased to announce its vision for the Victorian Volunteering Strategy.
“The Victorian Government is uniquely placed to set a strategic direction for the volunteering sector,” says Scott Miller, CEO of Volunteering Victoria.
“An effective, well-designed and resourced volunteering strategy will better support Victoria’s 2.3 million volunteers into the future,” adds Miller.
Our vision for the Victorian Volunteer Strategy includes big thinking around operational aspects of volunteering, taking tangible steps mapped against the Victorian Government’s stated priorities, addressing mechanisms for volunteer coordination across Victoria, focusing on targeted groups that require priority of attention and the development of an evidence-based strategy, one that is built on contemporary models of volunteerism.
“Together, we can through volunteering ensure the success of this opportunity for our members and the entire volunteering community across Victoria,” says Miller.
International Volunteers Day (IVD) is an international observance that was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. The Day is an opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.
More information on our vision for the Victorian Volunteering Strategy can be found here.
