Date: 05/12/2002
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Skweyiya: Message on International Day of Volunteers
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT BY DR ZOLA SKWEYIYA, (MP) MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, READ BY MR VUSI MADONSELA, ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE VOLUNTEERS, 5 December 2002
Salutations
Distinguished guests
It is an honour and privilege for me to be invited to this historic occasion marking the International Day of Volunteers and the release of the report on the work of volunteers in the Southern African region.
Almost eight months ago we convened a Southern African Regional Volunteer Vision Conference in Midrand, to deliberate as the Southern African region on the positive impact that volunteering brings to our communities and the sub region. We reflected on how, for over three hundred years, the African people fought wars of resistance against the colonial invaders, in defence of their motherland in the spirit of volunteering. We noted with a deep sense of patriotism how African heroism ultimately triumphed over the superior arms and organisation of the oppressors.
The Regional Volunteer Vision Conference, which happened during our National Year of the Volunteer, better known as Illima/Litsema, could not have come at a better time. The Conference came at a time when Africa was in the concluding strides of reshaping her destiny and redefining her role and place in the world, specifically through the African Union and the NEPAD; it will serve as an important reference point for the development of Africa's volunteers.
The convergence of over 200 volunteers and regional citizens for us served as reminder that indeed to volunteer is an action rooted deep in the African culture and is a human response to the challenges faced by millions of ordinary people across the globe.
As we are move steadily into the African century, we are confronted by old and fresh challenges such as HIV/AIDS, poverty and social injustice. We are again reminded that the volunteer has a central role to play in the sustainable development of our people's and continent. This is even more imperative coming up against the backdrop of the historic World Summit for Sustainable Development held in our country recently. Sustainable development can only take place if it is rooted amongst the people themselves, so that it is driven and directed by them.
Indeed, Africa's call as embodied by the New Economic Plan for Africa's Development (NEPAD), requires Africans to do it for themselves. In doing it for ourselves, we must individually and collectively commit as the human race to contribute, without seeking personal reward, towards making a world fit for all, especially our children. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to call on all of us gathered here today, to blow the whistle on violence against women and children, during these sixteen days of activism and throughout our lives.
The timing of the launch of this Conference Report is clearly impeccable and will therefore assist in defining the type of support we offer our volunteers whether we are in government, the international community, business or civil society. In fact we all have to be volunteers if the dream of a better life and a caring society which we all cherish, is to be realised. The list of contributors to this report and the conference attendance reflect the beginnings of collaborations and partnerships towards working together to promote volunteering in our region. This is long overdue especially in the light of the immense socio-economic challenges facing the Southern African region. It is estimated that 14 million people in the region are faced with extreme hunger and poverty with women and children the worst affected. The United Nations also estimates that Southern Africa has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the whole world.
This situation poses very serious challenges indeed. It required drastic and united nations from all sectors of society. Most importantly, it requires that we rekindle the spirit of voluntarism that saw the region defeat apartheid and bring democracy.
We must therefore work together to ensure that we:
* Inspire and mobilise all sectors of society to voluntary action
* Profile volunteering through the media
* Build a sustainable institutional and infrastructural framework for the facilitation of volunteering and the co-ordination of volunteer programmes
* Establish sustainable national, regional and international networks to facilitate collaboration and partnerships in volunteering
* Continue to dialogue so as to finalise a shared understanding of the diverse practices and expressions of volunteering
* Develop comprehensive policies and programmes that will support and strengthen volunteering in our country and the region.
In order to tackle these challenges effectively, all of us, including volunteers, must build strong solidarity and that solidarity must be underpinned by the quest to address the needs of the most vulnerable families and members of our society such as elderly, the poor and people with disabilities. The solidarity must begin at a family level, escalating to community at national and international levels.
In conclusion I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international donor community, the governments of the region, parastatals, civil society organisations and the businesses that made this timely conference possible. Without their contribution and the work of Volunteer South Africa and the staff that worked tirelessly, our vision of raising Africa's place globally would have been so much more difficult.
Phambili Ma Volontiya! Forward Volunteers!
Issued by Ministry of Social Development
5 December 2002
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Skweyiya: Message on International Day of Volunteers
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT BY DR ZOLA SKWEYIYA, (MP) MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, READ BY MR VUSI MADONSELA, ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE VOLUNTEERS, 5 December 2002
Salutations
Distinguished guests
It is an honour and privilege for me to be invited to this historic occasion marking the International Day of Volunteers and the release of the report on the work of volunteers in the Southern African region.
Almost eight months ago we convened a Southern African Regional Volunteer Vision Conference in Midrand, to deliberate as the Southern African region on the positive impact that volunteering brings to our communities and the sub region. We reflected on how, for over three hundred years, the African people fought wars of resistance against the colonial invaders, in defence of their motherland in the spirit of volunteering. We noted with a deep sense of patriotism how African heroism ultimately triumphed over the superior arms and organisation of the oppressors.
The Regional Volunteer Vision Conference, which happened during our National Year of the Volunteer, better known as Illima/Litsema, could not have come at a better time. The Conference came at a time when Africa was in the concluding strides of reshaping her destiny and redefining her role and place in the world, specifically through the African Union and the NEPAD; it will serve as an important reference point for the development of Africa's volunteers.
The convergence of over 200 volunteers and regional citizens for us served as reminder that indeed to volunteer is an action rooted deep in the African culture and is a human response to the challenges faced by millions of ordinary people across the globe.
As we are move steadily into the African century, we are confronted by old and fresh challenges such as HIV/AIDS, poverty and social injustice. We are again reminded that the volunteer has a central role to play in the sustainable development of our people's and continent. This is even more imperative coming up against the backdrop of the historic World Summit for Sustainable Development held in our country recently. Sustainable development can only take place if it is rooted amongst the people themselves, so that it is driven and directed by them.
Indeed, Africa's call as embodied by the New Economic Plan for Africa's Development (NEPAD), requires Africans to do it for themselves. In doing it for ourselves, we must individually and collectively commit as the human race to contribute, without seeking personal reward, towards making a world fit for all, especially our children. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to call on all of us gathered here today, to blow the whistle on violence against women and children, during these sixteen days of activism and throughout our lives.
The timing of the launch of this Conference Report is clearly impeccable and will therefore assist in defining the type of support we offer our volunteers whether we are in government, the international community, business or civil society. In fact we all have to be volunteers if the dream of a better life and a caring society which we all cherish, is to be realised. The list of contributors to this report and the conference attendance reflect the beginnings of collaborations and partnerships towards working together to promote volunteering in our region. This is long overdue especially in the light of the immense socio-economic challenges facing the Southern African region. It is estimated that 14 million people in the region are faced with extreme hunger and poverty with women and children the worst affected. The United Nations also estimates that Southern Africa has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the whole world.
This situation poses very serious challenges indeed. It required drastic and united nations from all sectors of society. Most importantly, it requires that we rekindle the spirit of voluntarism that saw the region defeat apartheid and bring democracy.
We must therefore work together to ensure that we:
* Inspire and mobilise all sectors of society to voluntary action
* Profile volunteering through the media
* Build a sustainable institutional and infrastructural framework for the facilitation of volunteering and the co-ordination of volunteer programmes
* Establish sustainable national, regional and international networks to facilitate collaboration and partnerships in volunteering
* Continue to dialogue so as to finalise a shared understanding of the diverse practices and expressions of volunteering
* Develop comprehensive policies and programmes that will support and strengthen volunteering in our country and the region.
In order to tackle these challenges effectively, all of us, including volunteers, must build strong solidarity and that solidarity must be underpinned by the quest to address the needs of the most vulnerable families and members of our society such as elderly, the poor and people with disabilities. The solidarity must begin at a family level, escalating to community at national and international levels.
In conclusion I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international donor community, the governments of the region, parastatals, civil society organisations and the businesses that made this timely conference possible. Without their contribution and the work of Volunteer South Africa and the staff that worked tirelessly, our vision of raising Africa's place globally would have been so much more difficult.
Phambili Ma Volontiya! Forward Volunteers!
Issued by Ministry of Social Development
5 December 2002
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