Today is the International Volunteer Day. It should be a big celebration but unfortunately this whole week and the next one is packed with equally important special “days”, so IVD won’t get much visibility. The fact that volunteerism is not so understood nor appreciated is not helping spread its positive vibes, energies and, most importantly, its ultimate transformative impact.
In this piece, I will try to highlight some key areas that Nepal could undertake to boost volunteerism.
First of all, let’s acknowledge we are living in a paradox.
Like many other Asian nations, the country is rich in social fabric and even though different names are used to describe it, volunteerism in its purest forms centered on self-help and solidarity, is still alive.
Despite uncontrolled urbanization, consumerism also characterized by unlimited and unproductive use of social media by young people, the foundations upon which this social fabric were based on, are still intact. But no one really cares.
What the state is doing is at the best showing apathy towards volunteering.
The government, at all its levels, instead of conveniently talking big words about it, should realize how volunteering can complement and maximize its work. The civil society that normally in Nepal is strong and generally active, seems not to awaken to the fact that the biggest and most pressing issues can only be dealt with by people’s participation.
Volunteerism should be embraced and promoted by the state because it can help solve a lot of issues affecting our society.
What better than volunteering, as an engine of civic engagement, to tackle the climate challenge or the issues related to weak public education and health sectors? We should not even mention the role of the private sector in Nepal. As you can imagine, there is not much to say about it.
It should not be this way.
The corporate world, in many nations, including in the developing world, is active in promoting a culture of service. In Nepal nothing like this is really happening even if there are few shining exceptions. Considering this status quo, we could better move on and not pay too much attention to a day like today.
If we fall into this temptation, we would commit a tragic mistake.
Therefore, as a staunch supporter of volunteerism, I would like to highlight some key actions that could revitalize and reboot this wonderful “thing” that is difficult to explain but so easy to embrace if you give it a try.
One: National Volunteering Policy
Frankly speaking I do not know what happened to the policy.
It was finalized several years ago, we were almost at the finishing line but then, political instability with frequent changes of government, had blocked its release.
No one really talks about it and this is a problem. Even if, in the best case scenario, this policy was endorsed by the Federal Cabinet, there is a total disinterest in it, a deafening silence about it.
As we know, national policies in Nepal do not count much because they are never implemented though some exceptions exist. Still, it would be important to revitalize it, approve it or officially present it to the public.
The problem is in the people’s perception about volunteering. Such National Volunteering Policy is not like any other similar document. Volunteerism should be embraced and promoted by the state in a very strategic way because it can help solve a lot of issues affecting our society.
I am using the verb “embracing” because it really helps the readers understand that volunteerism is something unique, different and it must be truly loved and taken care of.
Two: National Network of Volunteers Centers
My proposition would be to make a big, feisty noise about this policy and then, from there, really build a volunteering infrastructure. By “volunteering infrastructure”, I mean the additional regulations or even a national legislation promoting volunteerism. The term also refers to local bodies and institutions that are used as engines of self-help and altruism.
That’s why the Federal Government should launch the idea of setting up a network of volunteering centers, something that should be done in partnership with local governments and civil society.
These centers are quite common in many developed nations. Why are more developed nations investing in such infrastructures? Simply because they have a profound positive impact at local levels as they work as multipurpose centers that also promote positive youth’s development while also bringing other age groups together.
Three: National Volunteering Forum
We need to set up a loose mechanism, informal in nature, that brings together all the actors and even citizens who are passionate about volunteerism. It should not be overly structured but rather such a mechanism should be managed in a relatively simple way.
There should be periodic gatherings focused on sharing of best practice and coordination and to do this, the National Youth Council should be the best agency to take the lead in enabling its formation.
The forum could also simply take the shape of a network. The name does not matter. What matters is rather the substance, having a table in which agencies, organizations and practitioners can discuss and share ideas and learn from each other.
Four: A National Volunteering Award
In the past something had happened in this area but everything got discontinued. Now the state should take the lead. An award could be named after the President or the Prime Minister. This is a practice implemented in many nations.
Why can’t a country like Nepal also turn this Award into one of the most prestigious recognitions given by the state?
Five: A National Volunteering Conference
Also, here the state should set the example and organize a National Conference or, at least, financially support its organization that could be managed by the civil society, maybe by the yet to be created National Volunteering Forum mentioned earlier.
Such conferences could be the best platform to highlight, recognize volunteering best practices while also discussing policy related matters. Keynote speakers from overseas could also be invited because there is so much that can be learned in terms of what other nations are doing to leverage and boost volunteering.
Six: Role of UNV
The United Nations Volunteers should keep playing the role of facilitator and enabler and it can do much more here. UNV can help lay the foundations for a truly wonderful volunteering inspired society. UNV Nepal Office could help put into practice some of the ideas above mentioned, especially in supporting the State in truly championing volunteerism.
I am not entirely sure if any of these ideas will be put in practice. Honestly speaking they are hardly revolutionary but nevertheless it might take time to bring people around to implement them.
Yet volunteerism is almost like a magic wand.
Nepal did not fully discover this magic tool but we should not stop believing that one day, all these ideas and propositions will be in place and volunteerism will really become the magic that will help turn Nepal into a prosperous and inclusive nation.
Simone Galimberti is the co-founder of ENGAGE and The Good Leadership. Opinion expressed is personal.
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