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TKI
Hot Topic for 5 July 2001
Please
note: These links were valid when this page was posted. However the Web
is very volatile, and TKI has no control over outside websites. Please
let us know if you find a broken link or if you have an update for a link.
Te Kete Ipurangi recommends that teachers view all websites we link to
before using them with students.
You
might have noticed that there have been a few more newspaper articles
and radio interviews featuring volunteers lately. In November 1997, the
United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2001 the International Year
of Volunteers.
The year is designed
mainly as an opportunity for governments around the world to recognise
and promote volunteer activity.
Volunteers make a
huge contribution to our society. They provide time, energy, support,
and resources for all kinds of organisations and activities – from
administering sports teams to conservation projects, welfare work to firefighting,
and mountain safety to fundraising for schools.
Volunteering has
many advantages, both for the individual and for society as a whole. Volunteers
gain valuable skills and work experience, meet new people, gain immense
personal satisfaction, and build new friendships through volunteer work.
Society also benefits
from the economic contribution volunteers make. Volunteers reduce the
burden on government spending in some areas and boost the economic output
of a country in others.
More importantly,
though, volunteering helps strengthen communities, builds bonds of trust
and friendship between people, and promotes the exchange of things less
tangible and material than money and consumer items in our world.
Volunteer work has
not always been in line with society's views of the time and is sometimes
even anti-government. Some volunteer organisations challenge society's
beliefs, practices, and laws – sometimes breaking laws of the time
or forcing the pace of change with their work, particularly in the area
of human rights.
There are a myriad
of different kinds of volunteer organisations in New Zealand and around
the world. Some volunteer organisations are noted below, but take a look
around your neighbourhood for others in your area.
Curriculum links on TKI
Social Studies
in the New Zealand Curriculum
Social Organisation,
Resources and Economic Activities, and Time Continuity and Change
The Social Studies
in the New Zealand Curriculum document is available on TKI (www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/index_e.php).
TKI resources
National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center
This website backgrounds the volunteer work that contributed to the
struggle to free slaves and create equality in the United States (www.undergroundrailroad.org/).
Statistics
This section of the Statistics New Zealand site includes themes for primary
and secondary school programmes, resources on economic issues, a schools'
newsletter, and a bilingual 2001 Census education resource kit (www.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/schools.nsf/HTMLDocs/Schools'%20Corner).
Some
volunteers on the web
Year
of volunteers
The International Year of Volunteers website (www.iyv2001.org/)
lists volunteer information for most countries, including New Zealand.
Community
This community website (www.community.net.nz/)
provides Internet resources to encourage and support the strengthening
of communities throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Government
The Ministry of Social Policy has a volunteer section on their website
(www.mosp.govt.nz/voluntary/).
The Department of Internal Affairs (www.dia.govt.nz/DIAwebsite.nsf/URL/InternationalYearofVolunteers-homepage)
has an events calendar for the year of the volunteer and list of volunteer
agencies.
Human
rights
Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org.nz)
is an independent movement of over a million people in more than 140 countries
who contribute their time, money, and expertise to international campaigns
to prevent some of the most serious human rights violations by governments
and other political groups.
Soroptimists
Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific (www.siswp.org)
is one of four federations in the world's largest service organisation
for business and professional women.
First
aid
Often seen on the sideline at rugby games, St John's volunteers can also
be found providing first aid support at concerts, or golf tournaments
– wherever there's a crowd (www.stjohn.org.nz/).
The St John International Youth festival is being hosted in Canterbury
in January 2002.
Mountain
safety
The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council was formed in 1966 in response
to a growing concern over an increasing number of accidents in the bush
and mountains (www.mountainsafety.org.nz/).
Information on courses is available on their website.
Save
the Children
Save the Children's aims are based on the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child (www.savethechildren.org.nz/).
Parenting
The Parents Centre (www.parentscentre.org.nz/)
has information about choosing schools, legal ages, and a lot of other
things to do with parenting.
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