The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about both challenges and opportunities for organisations working with volunteers to achieve sustainable development. Resources have been affected and in-person volunteering disrupted, but there have also been great strides in innovation and agility. This takes place alongside an ever-strengthening global movement for climate justice, greater recognition of the need for localisation, changes in how people volunteer and what organisations and communities need, and much more.
Recognising the multitude of challenges and opportunities this rapidly changing environment creates, the International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum) (https://forum-ids.org/) sought to collectively develop a strategy for volunteering in development for the next three to five years, for both its members and the wider sector. It offers possible pathways to help organisations prioritise and effectively navigate the post-COVID environment.
This document summarises the key points and considerations emerging from a collaborative process based on 31 conversations with Forum members (amongst others the AKLHÜ) and 10 external stakeholders between May and August 2022. It is written by Nick Ockenden, an independent research, evaluation and strategy consultant specialising in international volunteering.
The International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum) is the most significant global network of organisations that work with volunteers to achieve sustainable development goals. Forum exists to share information, develop good practice and enhance cooperation across the volunteering in development sector.
Forum achieves this through convening, research, and standards.
For more information and to join Forum, visit forum-ids.org.
