Global Volunteer Update Information about volunteerism worldwide October 2005   VOLUME 2 ISSUE 10   TAKE ACTION Invite your friend to subscribe Contribute to this newsletter SUBSCRIBE Email: PUBLISHED BY United Nations Volunteers  Postfach 260111, D-53153 Bonn Germany t: +49.228.815-2000 f: +49.228.815-2959 e: info@worldvolunteerweb.org Copyright © 2005 UN Volunteers. All rights reserved. Disclaimer Featured article Army of volunteers helps quake victims There's no way to measure how much the volunteers have accomplished writes Tim Sulliven of The Associated Press. Even if the volunteers are unorganized or lack training, they have dug out dozens, and probably hundreds, of bodies. They've brought food and clothing to people who need it. Perhaps most importantly, they are proof to the residents of Balakot, Pakistan that people do care. Read more   Other news stories Volunteers join hands with agencies to rescue quake survivors Healthcare workers less willing to volunteer in disease outbreak Volunteer Toronto, corporate Canada work together to promote volunteerism Katrina volunteers, donors get tax break in US Afghan children fly kites to end poverty NetAid announces 2005 Global Action Awards winners UK unions fight for rights of voluntary sector staff Volunteers help evacuees get connected Red Cross seeks 40,000 more volunteers Development goals can be achieved through local action: Annan Features Volunteer doctors show ways to improve world by traveling by Susan Spano The French non-profit Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has earned a reputation for providing critical medical care in some of the world’s most dangerous and desperate places. This piece from the San Francisco Chronicle tracks the experiences of a few volunteer physicians who opted to become doctors without borders. Read more   Need is vast, but so is outpouring by Kris Axtman Response in the US to Hurricane Katrina may reach a billion dollars, which is the highest amount of donations ever seen for a natural disaster, says a US charity. Katrina is pegged as one of the deadliest natural disasters in the US history, with over 500,000 people displaced, and deaths topping the hundreds just days after the storm hit the Gulf Coast. Read more   Viewpoints How to heal ‘charity wounds’ by Sean Gonsalves There’s a new approach to valuing volunteerism, and proponents say it helps reduce “charity wounds” — the sense of humility or embarrassment often felt by charity recipients. Called “time banking,” the system tracks individuals’ volunteer hours and stores them in a “time bank” from which volunteers can later “withdraw” an equivalent amount of volunteer time when they need help. Read more   Volunteer story Part of the news in Haiti by Myrna Dormit “I don’t refer to my (volunteer) experiences in Haiti as my past – they colour every aspect of my daily life and shape my decisions. After living among people for whom everyday survival is a struggle, I feel immensely fortunate,” says Myrna Dormit, who served as a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. Read more   Resources Tips on disaster volunteering Many people are inclined to help others after a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina strikes. But knowing how to help so that victims will get the greatest benefit from volunteer efforts is important, says volunteer experts. To serve effectively and meaningfully, it’s important that volunteer organizations determine what phases of disaster response their programmes are most suited to help. Disaster planning involves preparation, prevention, response and recovery. Read more   Upcoming Events 10th IAVE Asia-Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference I Euroforum on Volunteering Work: shared challenges in EU-25 Volunteering Research: Frontiers and Horizons

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