The year 2011, which signals the 10th anniversary of the 2001 International Year of Volunteers of the United Nations, has been designated as the European Year of Volunteers.
The overall aim is to encourage and support the efforts being made, by the Community, the member states and local and regional authorities, to create the conditions within civil society conducive to volunteering and to increase the visibility of voluntary activities. These efforts are being undertaken notably through the exchange of experiences and good practices.
It was therefore good to hear Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Archbishop Paul Cremona taking the opportunity of their Christmas messages to speak about the importance of voluntary work in our community, in the context of the European year. The Prime Minister described voluntary work as a treasure with strong roots which is to be appreciated. The Archbishop spoke about the value of voluntary work and the joy it brings, expressing the hope that the year dedicated to volunteering will be imbued with the Christian spirit of self-giving, which is so prevalent at Christmastime.
Voluntary work continues to be a very precious resource that a wide range of institutions and initiatives not only derive immense benefit from but in many cases cannot do without. It is a rich personal and communal experience that springs out of people’s understanding of the real meaning of solidarity, which was one of the values President George Abela spoke of in his own Christmas message.
It is abundantly clear many people in our community see other persons as their brethren, feel responsible for the weaker members of society, and are very ready to generously share their possessions with them, whether in the form of talent, time or money. It is this spirit of solidarity which inspires so much enthusiasm among the many volunteers who come forward to ensure, for instance, that splendid initiatives such as L-Istrina are well organised and supported. It is also the same general feeling that invariably generates so many generous contributions from the people towards projects aimed at reaching out to those in need.
These are very fine feathers in our nation’s cap. Nonetheless, the European Year of Volunteers should be looked at by our society as an opportunity to encourage greater awareness of the value and importance of volunteering as an expression of civic participation which contributes to societal development and social cohesion. The year should provide a spur to identify new actions that would help improve the environment for volunteering.
The EU’s objectives in the celebration of the Year of Volunteering include empowering organisers of voluntary activities to improve the quality of such activities, helping organisers to implement new types of activities, and encouraging networking, mobility, cooperation and synergies within civil society and between civil society and other sectors. Actively embracing and pursuing such aims would surely help to enhance the dimension of volunteering in our midst.
In a world where the egotistical mentality is widespread and seemingly on the rise, the priceless treasure of voluntary work should be embraced as one of the best investments we can make in society. It is individuals’ selfless commitment to helping others that will ensure society does not succumb to an individualistic view of the world.
Therefore, every effort should be made to sustain and reinforce our strong sense of solidarity, especially with the most vulnerable, and to ensure that voluntary work and charity prevail throughout the New Year and the years ahead.