Hot Topics

Appendix to March 2000 Hot Topic

NYC/IYV 2001

Written by Rustie Brooke: NYC/IYV Project Facilitator; NY AVA Chair, Outreach

In October 1999, the North American Office of the United Nations Volunteer Programme announced that New York City is the first documented city in the world to mobilize for The International Year of Volunteers 2001 and commended New York City for being the catalyst for United States involvement.

The New York City Committee for IYV 2001 was founded by the New York Association for Volunteer Administration (NY AVA) and is hosted by the United Hospital Fund. Remaining neither complacent nor neutral, we are assisting the United Nations Volunteer Programme as they advocate for volunteerism as a means to long-term societal change.

The mission of NYC/IYV 2001 is:

To publicize and foster volunteerism as an important tool for social commitment and community improvement

The goals of NYC/IYV 2001 are:

• To increase facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteerism
• To increase public awareness of the individual and community benefits of volunteering
• To promote professional management of volunteer programs
• To encourage more people to engage in sustained volunteer activity
• To promote cultural diversity in volunteerism by encouraging people of different backgrounds to volunteer
• To be a role model and tool for others cities in the United States and around the world

NYC/IYV is solidifying peaceful, non-elitist collaboration with all sectors and agencies that promote volunteerism: private, government and nonprofit. We are doing this by building genuine, long lasting relationships, using our heads and speaking from our hearts.

For the first time, a networking coalition has been formed with New York City professional volunteer management associations: Corporate Volunteers of New York, Greater New York Directors of Volunteers in Healthcare, Long Island Association for Professional Volunteer Administrators, NY AVA, Queens DOVIA and Volunteer Program Administrators in New York City Cultural Institutions. Participating agencies are being asked to pledge a 2-year commitment to this important project and to remember that December 5, 2000 is the official IYV launch date.

Through the Mayor's Voluntary Action Center, we have gathered New York City Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington's complete support and are working directly with the New York City Commission for the United Nations. NYC/IYV is organized into teams with team leaders and written team descriptions, practicing first-class volunteer management techniques.

NYC/IYV 2001 has coordinated our city of 9 million citizens by utilizing the natural boundaries of 5 boroughs and Long Island. Key leadership was recruited and a model IYV rollout was written and implemented with each area revising to fit. Local groups are being asked to:

• Identify mission/goals
• Identify and contact nonprofit and private organizations involved in volunteerism
• Identify and contact local government representatives
• Identify and contact media and sponsorship sources
• Identify volunteerism events from November 2000- December 2001 and piggyback IYV 2001 onto them. Use the IYV 2001 logo
• Organize and publicize one new volunteerism event or ongoing initiative
• Be creative and provocative
• Risk. Now!

IYV 2001 is our friendly, global transportation to finally bring volunteering and volunteer administration into the center of public and official opinion. VPA's channel the energy and talents of millions of people into measurable community improvements. IYV 2001 will bring credibility and additional resources to volunteer programs worldwide by educating government leaders and legislators that it is the continuous impact of our voluntary citizenry that keeps our cities and communities effectively working.

Advocating together, NYC/IYV believes that the sweet sound of many voices carries much further than the single note.

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