Workshop on the Follow-up of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV 2001)

International Conference Center, 15, rue Varembé, 1202 Genève, Room 15 (level -1)

Conclusions

Panellists concluded that volunteer organizations must be strategic in keeping volunteerism on the international agenda because once it moves off, the momentum of IYV 2001 will be lost. They also supported the push for a second UN resolution in December 2002 to "add teeth" to the resolution of 2001. As well, most of the panellists and many delegates proposed the continued use and even the expansion of existing websites and other communication tools that were created for IYV 2001 in order to provide easily accessible information and to facilitate the exchange of information between volunteer organizations. It was suggested that the existing IYV 2001 website could become a "volunteer portal," a kind of virtual resource centre. Finally, panellists agreed that more research needs to be conducted into quantifying the results and the impact of volunteering to prove its effectiveness and garner government support.