A Volunteer 'Double' Celebration
14 May 2001 at 1:05 pm
For Australian Volunteers International – Australia’s largest international voluntary technical assistance agency – 2001 is cause for double celebration.
As well as being the United Nations International Year of Volunteering this year if the 50th anniversary of Australians volunteering overseas.
Originally known as the Overseas Service Bureau, the organisation was established as a company limited by guarantee and has been supported by the Federal Government since the 60’s.
Australian Volunteers International provides opportunities for Australians to volunteer to live, work and learn in partnership with people of other cultures.
During 1999/2000, Australian Volunteers International supported 898 volunteers throughout Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East . In that time it received over 15,000 inquires with around 4000 people making an application to become an Australian volunteer.
Australian volunteers provide expert technical assistance in areas such as environment, human rights, capacity building, health and good governance.
The organisation says the designation of the International Year of Volunteering demonstrates that the importance and recognition of the contributions of volunteers is as important today as they were back in 1951.
By way of example, the organisation says the 2000 Sydney Olympics has demonstrated that volunteering is still an important and crucial component of our social fabric.
Happy anniversary Australian Volunteers International!
Do you have a volunteering story then why not post it on our Forum at:probonoaustralia.com.au.
