On Wednesday 15th December 2021, IVR co-hosted an online event with the UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation.
The recording is available to watch on demand. More information about the importance of this event and the biographies of our panellists can be found below.
Against the backdrop of widening social inequalities, volunteerism in its many forms could play an important role in sustainable development and peace-building. Volunteering has been a valuable community-based resource that could foster inclusion, resilience and solidarity. From offering time and expertise to deliver community health classes to setting up community pantries, volunteers around the world respond in diverse ways to the needs of their communities. Yet calls for better recognition of volunteers’ work remain, including how to ensure that volunteers have a greater voice in decision-making.
Poverty, climate emergency and the Covid-19 pandemic continue to exacerbate social inequalities – impacting the most marginalised groups in society. Against this backdrop, there is an increasing number of causes and issues that people volunteer for and new channels for them to volunteer through. Volunteers’ relationship with state and non-state actors are being re-engineered – paving the way for newer forms of collaboration and new spaces to demand for accountability.
The UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation and the Institute for Volunteering Research at the University of East Anglia are hosting a symposium to explore themes in the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2022: Building Equal and Inclusive Societies, to be launched by UNV on 02 December 2021. The event will draw together academics, policymakers and practitioners to explore how volunteerism can help build more equal and inclusive societies.
Speakers:
Professor Anna Robinson-Pant, UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation and Principal Investigator, SWVR 2022
Dr Tapiwa Kamuruko, Policy Specialist, United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV)
Dr Chris Millora, SWVR 2022 Lead Researcher/Author
Dr Jurgen Grotz, Director, Institute for Volunteering Research
Panel Chair:
Professor Laura Bowater, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation, University of East Anglia
Panellists:
Dr Philip Goodwin, CEO, Voluntary Services Overseas
Ms Helene Perold, Independent Researcher, South Africa
Ms Florinna Qupevaj, Volunteer
Panelist Bios
Professor Laura Bowater
Laura is a Professor in Microbiology Education and Engagement at the Norwich Medical School. (During her time at the University of East Anglia, Laura has developed her passion for teaching, science communication and Public Engagement. Laura has authored three books: a popular science book, the Microbes Fight Back; antibiotic resistance. and Science Communication a practical guide for scientist. In 2019 she won the Peter Wildy Prize from the Microbiology Society for her Science Communication work with microbiology.) Laura is currently the Associate Pro-vice Chancellor for Innovation at the University of East Anglia and Chairs the Delivery Board for the Institute of Volunteering Research her at UEA.
Tapiwa Kamuruko
Tapiwa Kamuruko is a Policy Specialist and Team Leader for the preparation of the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, is based at UNV Headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Regional Manager for the UNV Regional Office for East and Southern Africa. He holds a PhD in Development Studies, with interests on use and appropriation of new communication technologies in development. He has published books on Reproductive Health, ICT and Development; Media and Development.
Florina Qupevaj
My name is Florina Qupevaj and I was born on October 8th, 1999, in Mönchengladbach, Germany. My parents came back in Kosovo in 2002, to invest and work for their country, and I live in Prishtina since then.
As a very energetic and curious little girl, it was a real challenge to define what I want to be in the future. In adolescence, when most of the young people are having a hard time, I started to do volunteer work and help other people. That made me realize how much we can change by doing a little.
I started studying Psychology in University of Prishtina in 2017. Psychology helped me understand more about myself and others, how I could help them and understand them more.
I am also studying Criminology and I have been working in marketing field for 4 years now.
I was always described by people as brave, positive, trustworthy, and as a child trapped in an adult’s body. I love doing what I do and I always work to be better at it. I encourage everyone to follow their dreams and do whatever makes them feel good.
Dr Philip Goodwin
Dr Philip Goodwin has been Chief Executive of VSO since March 2015. He was previously CEO of TREEAID, an NGO working on agro-forestry in dryland Africa and spent 11 years with British Council where he held leadership positions in Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan and Belgium. Philip has been a community development volunteer in Timbuktu, Mali. He has a PhD and MSc in environmental policy and a degree in agricultural economics.
Philip is Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, the charity that saves lives at sea, and International Civil Society Centre who work across environmental, human rights, social justice and humanitarian issues. He is co-author with Tony Page of the leadership book “From Hippos to Gazelles: how leaders create leaders”.
Helene Perold
Helene Perold is the director of Helene Perold & Associates, a South African consultancy established in 1993. A researcher, evaluator, publisher and strategist, Helene has worked in the fields of volunteering, youth development, community service, education, public health and communication. www.hpa.co.za
In 2003 Helene founded VOSESA (Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa), a non-profit research organisation that for ten years worked to build an evidence base about volunteering and civic service in Southern Africa. Through its research and publications, VOSESA became recognised regionally and internationally as a knowledge leader in the field. Selected studies are available at www.vosesa.org.za.
Helene has served as a research fellow at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, St Louis, USA, and as a senior research fellow at the Center for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Helene can be contacted at hperold@hpa.co.za