The spirit of volunteerism manifested, day in and day out, by thousands of citizens in Nepal is something that should be better recognized and acknowledged. If the country wants to progress and reach the next level of national development, volunteerism can truly be one of the key ingredients for the country’s transformation.
As we mark International Volunteer Day on December 5, we would like to offer some considerations and also present an opportunity for youths to think and contribute to harnessing the power of volunteerism.
Imagine what could result if more youths and more persons from different age groups could dedicate more time to a cause they are passionate about or to solve a problem close to them.
In many ways, it is already happening. Many learning institutions are enriching their curricula with activities that truly encourage the students to step up and care for society. Working with children and youths at an early stage is essential if we want to embed in our future generations the universal principles of altruism, kindness and generosity.
Hopefully the education sector, as a whole, will do more to promote and embrace volunteerism as it can model and inspire new positive behaviors that can become a force of good.
Yet the participation of schools and colleges alone won’t be enough. The country needs to have a strategy, a strong approach to promote volunteerism in all sectors and among all segments of the population.
Let’s not forget that we are not starting from scratch.
In many parts of the country, especially in the rural ones, the seeds of reciprocity, helping each other throughout the year, is something that is truly embedded in the way locals live their life.
From here we can build momentum and start working strategically with children and students who can turn to be a catalyst for change, a way to truly reach out to those who have never served and involve and engage them more for the good of local communities.
We should not forget that volunteerism is also a practical tool to promote key positive values, the foundations of a person’s journey towards success.
While there are many ways to define success, we think of it as achieving a satisfying and meaningful life in which a person can live with dignity and feels part of a community where she decides to play a role.
Personal leadership requires humility, a capacity to stay grounded, a propensity to listen rather than always talking and it also demands hard work and with it, the capacity to accept failures.
After all, accountability is a key value that, if embraced, can truly propel a person to higher standards and higher achievements. These ingredients are all essential and intrinsic parts of volunteerism.
We believe that by engaging and involving youths in volunteering activities, not only the society will be better but they, the youths, themselves will grow better and more holistically.
That’s why on the occasion of this International Volunteer Day, we are partnering with Nepal Live Today to challenge local youths to think and reflect more about the meaning of volunteerism.
What are, for example, the implications for youth of having more time to serve and help those who are in need? How will she understand that with volunteerism, longer-term benefits, rather than the usual shorter ones, will also come about? How can the educators be involved and engaged and ensure that they will comprehend the vast untapped potentials of volunteering experiences?
Volunteerism should be seen as the defining aspect of a youth’s life, not just an experience to be added on her resume’ but something a youth will carry on doing and cherish for the rest of his/her life.
What can be done, from the system level, to make it easier, simpler for youth to volunteer? How can it be made more accessible and inclusive so that every child and youth, also those from historically marginalized communities or those from economically vulnerable families, can also be part of this wave of change?
These are some of the questions we would like youths of this nation to think about and reflect. This is why we are launching, with Nepal Live Today as our media partner, a National Essay Competition that is aimed at initiating, from the youth’s perspectives, a new debate on volunteerism.
We hope such contests will help create a better understanding of volunteerism and the role schools and colleges can play in enabling an environment supportive of students who are keen to volunteer. We believe that learning institutions should embrace volunteerism and, with it, all its different shapes and colors that collectively define the concept of active citizenship, so that their students will be better prepared to shape their future personal and professional lives.
It is now clear that more civic engagement is going to be indispensable if we want to win the big challenges of our times: climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequalities, lack of adequate and accessible learning and health services, a bigger and more inclusive job market, among others.
We need the people to take a stronger interest in public affairs, be informed and interested in what’s happening locally, nationally and globally. If Nepal wants to truly graduate from its Least Developed Country status, the country cannot afford to have its youths disengaged and detached from public life.
Starting a conversation on volunteerism and, with it, on the different meanings and understanding of civic engagement, can be one way to prompt some interest in the importance of being engaged, and being committed to a cause in the best interest of society.
Volunteerism should be seen as the defining aspect of a youth’s life, not just an experience to be added on her resume’ but something a youth will carry on doing and cherish for the rest of his/her life.
Baybina Shrestha is Senior Operations and Program Officer at The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, Nepal. Subhasan Bhattarai is Co-Founder and Director at Together for Nepal. Simone Galimberti is Co-Founder of ENGAGE.
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