International scope - mentioning several countries

When Sarah Jane Rehnborg, Ph.D., wrote her doctoral dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh, she not only fulfilled an academic requirement but also helped document the basis of the new “Certified in Volunteer Administration” (CVA) competency-based credential for the Association of Volunteer Administration. In this issue of e-Volunteerism, we present an updated chapter from Rehnborg’s previously unpublished dissertation, “Field Test and Assessment of a Certification Program for Administrators of Volunteers.”

In this important work, Rehnborg takes readers behind the scenes of the credentialing process. She defines the key terms and extensive vocabulary used when discussing credentialing – terms like professional credentialing, licensure, certification, accreditation and diplomas. She also provides a history and rationale for certification in occupations and professions, as well as a brief overview of the ongoing objections to this practice.  Rehnborg’s work, which has been reviewed and updated for current applicability in several countries, provides important documentation of a sometimes complicated and misunderstood topic. 

Join e-Volunteerism for a unique around-the-world tour of what’s going on today in credentialing of volunteer management practitioners. In this article, knowledgeable colleagues from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, North America, Scotland and the United States describe how certification has evolved in their respective countries. They also discuss what is happening today, who is involved as the credentialing body, and other important features of their approach. In a special feature, readers can compare the existing credentials side-by-side and consider the similarities and differences. This is the first time this international information has been compiled in one place, and e-Volunteerism encourages readers from other countries to post responses and expand our world-wide comparison of credentialing.

An important international event on the global volunteering agenda kicked off 2011: the 21st World Volunteering Conference in January, sponsored by the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and hosted in Singapore. The conference marked 10 years since the world celebrated the United Nations’ International Year of Volunteers (IYV), so the UN is calling the 10th anniversary “IYV+10.” The Singapore event explored the changes that have occurred over the past decade and looked ahead at new trends.

As always, e-Volunteerism hit the ground running at the conference, covering the event. In this Voices, e-Volunteerism staffer Andy Fryar provides a photographic montage of some of the conference highlights and also shares his own thoughts on what he calls "the most well-run conference event I have ever had the opportunity to attend." Fryar also presents an audio interview from the conference with Laurence Lien, CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre in Singapore.

Volunteer centers exist around the world, although they rarely connect with each other across national borders. In Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, the concept of a “volunteer bureau” – the most common original name – first gained traction to mobilize home front activities during World War II. In Japan, volunteer centers were (and to some extent still are) literally organizers of local community services. Newer in mainland Europe, volunteer centers evolved from the push towards civil society in formerly communist countries. Volunteer centers in the U.S. are transforming into “HandsOn Action Centers,” while centers everywhere are trying on new identities in a world of Internet access to volunteer opportunities. 

As volunteer centers continue to evolve, it seems like a good time to understand why and how they began. In this Voices from the Past, we reflect on their historical significance and consider where they might be going next.

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• Read more about Volunteer Centers: Changing Rationale and Roles

This month’s Research to Practice takes a slight detour from reviewing research to report on an article that tries to take a completely new view on some well-known volunteer issues.  The article, called “It Ain’t Natural: Toward a New (Natural) Resource Conceptualization for Volunteer Management,” is written by Jeffrey L. Brudney and Lucas C.P.M. Meijs and published in the April 16, 2009 edition of the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Steven Howlett explains that in their article, the authors ask readers to consider what would happen if “we draw our eye from the need to recruit volunteers all the time and start to focus on retention?” So far not so new, Howlett admits, before adding that “the authors think they have a new way to describe how we should think of volunteers.  We should look on them as a natural resource, and one that can be exhausted or managed sustainably.” Instead of reviewing research, this popular e-Volunteerism feature may just trigger some research of its own as the authors attempt to extend this new way of thinking into implications for management.

It’s official.  YouTube isn’t just for silliness anymore.  The richness and variety of the videos that people now post online are quite amazing, and so it should come as no surprise that volunteering is among the subjects represented.  In this Voices from the Past, we’ll link you to some of the more fascinating online historical video clips and photograph archives and show how you can use the Internet to get a perspective on our mutual past.  You may find materials you can use for volunteer (and staff) training or as something different to show at a recognition event.

The larger a conference, the harder it is to actually meet new people. And if participants are really diverse, the obstacles to personal interaction seem to multiply.  To address these issues, the Asian Pacific Volunteer Leadership Conference (APVLC), which took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, in September 2008, designed a special series of small group sessions called “Reflection Pools.”  Over 300 conferees from a dozen countries were divided into groups of 10, and convened four different times during the three-day event.  The Reflection Pools participants were given clear instructions in order to jump-start their conversation.

In this Training Design article, Susan J. Ellis describes how she designed the Reflection Pools, how the APLVC experience represented real success, and how anyone can use this idea to add value to any conference.