At the end of the year, the volunteers regrouped in Geneva to share their successes and challenges and to brainstorm about how to make volunteer activities even more effective in the future. Over the course of four days at the International Symposium on Volunteering (ISV 2001), more than 550 delegates from 126 countries followed nearly 200 presentations, on subject ranging from examples of local campaigns, thoughts on access to and the use of the Internet, partnering with governments and the private sector, and even how volunteers save millions of lives through efforts in conflict zones, hospitals and natural disasters.
With such a diversity and density of information?and few journals in which to publish results- how could one possibility grasp the importance of volunteerism to our global social, economic, political communities?
Working in pairs, volunteer reporters of International Conference Volunteers (ICV) attended every session of the ISV 2001, took notes, and summarized the primary conclusions and interesting results. These reports from the basis of the Report from the 135-page Report from the Symposium, which serves as an important contribution to the final report on IYV 2001, which will be presented to Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan in December 2002. Illustrated with approximately 300 photographs, quotations, statistics and local examples, the Report provides an exciting "snapshot" of the role of volunteers worldwide. The Report is also available as a CD-ROM and on the web (http://www.isv2001.org).
Under Secretary-General Kofi Annan who has particularly stressed the importance of volunteers internationally, the United Nations received the 2001 Nobel Peace Price for its achievements that depend strongly on volunteer work.
For more information, for interviews or for a copy of the Report, contact:
International Conference Volunteers
Viola Krebs, President of the Symposium Organizing Committee
Phone: 079 679 16 93 or 022 800 14 36
Email: viola@icvolunteers.org
Web: www.isv2001.org and www.icvolunteers.org
Interviews may be arranged with Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers Programme in Geneva from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 June 2002. Viola Krebs, Co-Editor of the Report, is also available for questions.
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