"Volunteering Unleashed"
2009 Volunteering New Zealand conference gala dinner.
Wednesday 28 October 2009; 7pm
Hon Tariana Turia,
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Thank you for your kind words of introduction.
I mihi also to the Board members of Volunteering New Zealand and Tim Burns, Executive Director; the conference sponsor, New Zealand Post Group; the incredible cast of keynote speakers and workshop presenters that will make this conference unforgettable; and of course all of the community volunteers and organizations that have joined with us today in this celebration of our local heroes.
I’m always fascinated by the themes that are chosen to set the tone for a conference. With this national conference for Volunteering New Zealand my attention was drawn to the word unleashed.
When I think unleashed I think of my mokopuna, running free and wild, exploring the outdoors with all the passion and noise in the world.
I might think of a couple of playful puppies, set loose and allowed to run riot away from the controls of their leash.
Or I might just find myself humming along, “born free and life is worth living’!
In other words, being ‘unleashed’ is a concept which represents to me the act of being set free.
So what did Volunteering New Zealand think it was doing suggesting we should be giving volunteers a free rein?
William Arthur Ward perhaps sums it up when he said,
“Nothing limits achievement like small thinking;
Nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination”.
Anyone can develop a project plan, a list of logic to get you from A to B. Volunteering New Zealand is challenging us all not just to plan out the route, but to invest in imagination and innovation, so that our possibilities can become realities.
So how do you, as individuals and organisations encourage such thinking; create the unleashed imagination that will bring communities together, excite generations, and consider new needs and opportunities for development?
For those giving money, 2010 will introduce an innovative pre-tax payroll giving system that allows employees to donate to community organisations through their employer’s payroll system.
As you have been discussing at this conference, such innovations exist in the world of volunteering as well – you are all discovering new ways to engage youth, use technology and make the most of our diverse and creative population.
The conference suggests there are two key pathways to unleash volunteering:
Volunteering Tomorrow – to face us forward into the future; and
Inspiring Leaders – the thrust of professional development of volunteer co-ordinators.
We are being set free to think creatively, about new ways of working together to meet the growing demands for support.
As you have all heard probably more times that you care to remember, the recent recession has brought with it the challenge of precarious economic conditions, the uncertainty of a volatile employment market, of fluctuating oil prices and the incessant demand upon the Crown’s accounts.
This conference is a time to celebrate ourselves, for the sense of resilience, of determination and vision that we have brought to our survival. We have all had to adapt, to bring new skills and qualities into future horizons.
And most of all we have demonstrated the value of giving.
Two nights ago, I joined thousands of others to offer support at the I Love the Islands concert in Wellington. The concert was a remarkable feast of celebrity performers such as Scribe, Savage, The Yandall Sisters and the Laughing Samoans who took to the stage for the cause.
While the line-up of performers was pretty impressive, what blew me away was the sheer energy and initiative demonstrated in such a massive fund-raising effort. From the professional musicians who volunteered their time, to the generosity of the City Council who supplied the venue, the security and the staff for the event, it is but a microcosm of a much bigger response to the challenge of tsunami recovery.
The imaginations have certainly run wild, as people have given so freely and so generously to support the peoples of Samoa, of Tonga and of Indonesia over the last few weeks of an apparent disaster.
The response reminds us all that we walk together in times of duress as well as times of joy.
And at a very basic level, what we are seeing in Samoa is a picture of how much volunteers can make a difference. As the days have passed we have seen remarkable stories about volunteers supporting the people, rebuilding villages and restoring hope.
And so I come back to the parallel themes - developing volunteering into the future, and inspiring leadership.
What the tsunami recovery effort teaches us is that we can never be too complacent.
Whether it is economic turmoil, or unexpected weather events, the quicker we can come to terms with thechallenge of change; the more positive any adjustment will be.
Coming face to face with the challenge for change might mean that at an organisational level, it might be useful now to review your current services to avoid duplication and competition for vital funding, as well as developing your volunteer programmes to make the best use of volunteers' skills and attracting new volunteers.
And so this conference’s focus on inspiring leadership is timely. What is the role of a volunteer manager and what training is needed to be a volunteer manager? How can a volunteer manager inspire volunteers?
In the period of transition associated with any process of change, volunteers take on the energizer battery as their personal mentor, knowing that the need for resilience is high if they are to be successful.
To be resilient we need to share ideas, resources and local solutions to build stronger, more resilient communities. This conference is an excellent opportunity to look around to learn how to future proof and consolidate all of the steps taken to strengthen your communities.
And to ensure the glue in our communities is tight, we must constantly emphasize the value of collaboration and cooperation.
Collaboration across the sector requires community organisations and funders all working together and having open and honest conversations.
And we can not lose sight of the fact that we are working on behalf of the people. We need to be attentive to their needs and support our neighbours and communities.
In line with this – I wonder if anyone in the room knows why this day, the 28th October, is such a significant day for this nation.
This is a day to commemorate the international declaration signed on 28 October 1835 which recognises the sovereignty of the Independent Tribes of New Zealand. The Declaration was the forerunner of the Treaty of Waitangi and has a flag to symbolise tribal rights to trade as independent nations.
At its very heart, the Declaration of Independence was negotiated to establish a form of Mori government within Aotearoa, one which would unite the tribes in some form of common system. They argued also for the successful participation by Mori in trading, shipping and other areas of life.
So what does it mean for Volunteering New Zealand that this Declaration is universally acknowledged by Maori throughout the land, and yet when I asked the question about the importance of today, so few of you raised your hands.
I believe that we need to unleash our imaginations and inhibitions to learn about each other as Treaty partners.
We know the government is looking at the need to produce services that are responsive to Maori and other communities. The opportunity to foster social cohesion – including better engagement with kaupapa Mori organisations, Pacific communities and other ethnic minorities is in fact a fundamental principle defining Government’s interests in a strong community and voluntary sector.
And of course there are others. We want to promote the opportunity to obtain services that are best delivered by community and voluntary sector organizations; as well as investing in access to community sector knowledge, insight and wisdom on issues that affect communities.
Have we got it right?
What I can say with absolute certainty is that the government is keen to support communities to take ownership of the issues that affect them, to help them find their own solutions.
Despite all predictions of economic gloom and despair, public support for the community and voluntary sector has remained stable – people are continuing to find their own solutions. Over 75% of the population aged 10 and over have contributed by volunteering, making donations or providing other forms of support.
Against this backdrop, it is my pleasure to be able to launch the 2008 Update of How do New Zealanders Give?as part of the Promoting Generosity initiative. Although times have been tough the research shows that people have been more generous with their support through ad hoc donations. Almost half of all New Zealanders aged 10 years and over donated to street appeals.
There are some worrying trends in the report, including the suggestion that while existing donors and volunteers are spreading their time and money more widely, the overall pool of “givers” is not growing; or to look at the other side of the equation, families are struggling because volunteers are being drawn in many directions and will simply be unable to meet demand.
So there are very pertinent questions we might like to put to community groups, corporates, government agencies as well as politicians. Questions like how do we grow our volunteer base? How do we ensure generous people do not burn out? How can the government assist?
Copies of this report will be available tomorrow at the conference or from the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector website. James King will also be presenting the report findings in detail at this conference if you want to know more.
Finally, I want to thank you, the organisations, and individuals for all the exceptional work over the last year and for preparing for the future so well. I look forward to hearing the key themes from your conference discussions and the possible solutions you may have raised to help address the future.
Go out and unleash all that stored up energy, to truly make the difference that we need.