The Risks to Children When Disaster Strikes

 The COVID-19 pandemic has been labeled a children’s disaster, with particular concern being placed on the protection of minors. In this crisis, as with other crises and disasters, children have paid a high price, with tens of millions of them affected by the lockdowns caused by the pandemic.

The majority of people impacted by disasters are children and many are also displaced due to such crises. In fact, the United Nations has declared children to be the group most affected by disasters each year. In 2018, nearly 50 million children needed protection in humanitarian settings, according to the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

With COVID-19, protection systems have come under increasing strain as power imbalances become more acute, causing an increase of stress within families. This has aggravated the risk toward children who are at higher risk than other age groups of encountering violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in disaster settings, including those disasters driven by climate change.

Top risks for girls and boys in disasters include physical, sexual and psychological violence; neglect; injuries; harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage; psychosocial distress and mental disorders; children becoming associated with armed conflicts and groups; child labor; malnutrition; trafficking; losing out on education; and becoming unaccompanied and separated. 

In particular, disasters often also hamper children’s access to education, health care, birth registration and other critical governmental services. The COVID-19 pandemic, in which access to education has been severely constrained, has meant that access to vital protection systems has been difficult.

Excluding Children

Having said that, all of these risks could be reduced through specific preparedness activities prior to a disaster. However, the reality of the matter is that in many cases, youth and children are excluded from planning, response and disaster risk reduction activities. In addition, despite the danger to children, their protection risks such as those related to psychosocial well-being and resilience are not well understood or documented. There is currently no global snapshot of children’s perspectives related to protection and mental health and psychosocial issues from disasters.

While international law does not explicitly refer to child protection in disasters, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights instruments have set out rights that are applicable to all situations of crisis and that are relevant to the most important protection gaps that children face in disasters. This is true of the requirement that all actions concerning children must be taken according to the principle of the “best interest of the child.” The Convention on the Rights of the Child also enshrines each child’s right to express his or her views, and it requires that these views be given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

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Different national contexts and legal traditions determine whether legislative, policy or planning tools (or a combination of all three) are best suited to ensure that child protection goals are achieved. However, disaster management professionals often come to their work without clear guidance on children’s rights and special needs in disasters, and thus these issues can easily be overlooked.

Hence, there needs to be clear engagement between policymakers and those professionals to ensure that measures and responsibilities for child protection are adequately formalized and adapted to meet children’s best interests. Law and policy related to children also need to reflect the varied requirements of children of different ages and abilities.

Children and Climate Change

This is of utmost urgency and importance in the wake of climate change leading to more frequent weather-related disasters. Our world is heating up. Even as so much of our lives slow down, pause or alter from the COVID-19 pandemic, the carbon in our atmosphere continues to accumulate. With it, we know that more frequent and more intense droughts, floods, fires, population movements and public health crises will continue arriving at our doorsteps.

In just the last year alone, we have seen large-scale climate-related disasters in places as diverse as Mozambique, South Asia, the Bahamas and East Africa. This will have direct impacts on children as protection systems are affected, exacerbating preexisting tensions and conflicts. This will leave children susceptible to violence, abuse, child labor, trafficking and other forms of exploitation.

Compared to boys, girls are at higher risk of experiencing many secondary impacts that arise from disasters. These include sexual and gender-based violence, the pressure to marry as children and a loss in education opportunities. These secondary impacts may be the real “disaster” for girls. The risks are due to an intersectionality of social norms and power dynamics that lead to girls having less access to, or control over, assets including the resources necessary to cope with disasters. Such assets include access to information, education, health and wealth.

As a result, girls may suffer a “double disaster.” It is the inequities in the everyday, and not just in times of disaster, that increase risk and reduce life chances for girls. Amplifying this has been the dismal investment in emergencies, with an average only $3 spent per child in need of protection for the whole of 2018.

What Can Be Done?

What the international community is doing now to protect children in disasters is clearly not enough. Too many children are being left out, left behind and being harmed. Improving the approaches that are already there will lead to some gains, but this will be nowhere near what one should expect. Thus, there is a need to do better.

There is a need to shift away from a responsive model that relies on putting out fires, hoping that the same old thinking next time will lead to different results and that humanitarians can do the heavy-lifting on our own. There is a need to move to a model that focuses on prevention. There is a need for a transformative approach.

Missing in the existing efforts — as well-intentioned as they are — has been the pursuit of genuine support to governments to develop, implement and monitor domestic laws and regulations that enable children to live in safety. This approach underlines the responsibility of governments to ensure child protection systems are in place and adequate funds are available during disasters. It also provides clarity as part of disaster preparedness on what is needed, who is responsible and what measurements need to be applied to the protection of children. This is all especially important as climate-related disasters grow in frequency, scale and impact. 

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Supporting governments is surely not enough alone. It is not a silver bullet, and yet it is a crucial piece that has been underutilized or even missing from our collective toolbox to protect children in disasters. This includes ensuring relevant ministries and agencies are mandated to have in place contingency plans fully covering child protection. And that child protection issues should be included in relevant laws, regulations and policies on disaster risk management.

Also needed is mandating the collection and analysis of age, gender and disability-disaggregated data as part of risk assessments. This includes improving specific content in their laws and regulations, including that related to meeting children’s best interests, being gender-responsive and drawing on necessary international minimum standards.

A recently released report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies outlines the actions governments can take to cover key protection issues and ensure better coordinated, multi-level and interactive approaches to implementing domestic laws involving child protection. In this, there are lots to think about in addressing a vital issue in terms of child protection and disaster legislation, and much more needs to be done.

This originally appeared on Fair Observer

Celebrating International Youth Day amidst COVID-19 — The Resilience of Young People

 This year’s International Youth Day is historic. For the first time, it will be commemorated largely virtually as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to stricter physical distancing. It is also the first one this century where the world collectively is at a crossroads for the future and where the world collectively has to take a step forward. Whilst International Youth Day is often used as a stepping stone to reaffirm commitments towards engaging young people, it would be remiss not to use this opportunity to understand and reimagine what a post pandemic youth engagement can and should look like.

COVID-19 is a time to reimagine what post pandemic youth engagement can look like

COVID-19 has now impacted almost every country in the world, heavily affecting communities at all levels of society. While all are impacted, millions of young people worldwide have been, and continue to be, disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the associated crisis. The pandemic and public health restrictions are having severe effects on their mental health, career prospects and personal development with many young people facing increased levels of interpersonal violence.

Almost 1.2 billion learners (69% of all those enrolled worldwide) are currently out-of-school as a result of the country-wide and localized closures of educational institutions forced by the Covid-19. This adds up to the hundreds of millions of young people that were already out-of-school prior to the pandemic (and who therefore even more risk being left out). Such educational disruptions, even temporary, have serious repercussions on the lives and well-being of young people (and their families), especially for those who:

• have fewer opportunities for growth and development outside of the formal educational setting

• rely on free or discounted meals provided at schools for food and healthy nutrition

• have parents with limited education and resources who may particularly struggle to facilitate or support distance learning and home schooling (when put in place)

• lack access to technology or good internet connectivity which may prevent or limit educational continuity through digital learning portals during times of compulsory confinement

• are left alone at home by working parents who have no other choice for them to be looked after, which can lead to additional anxiety, psychological distress or mental health issues, risks of exposure to violence (e.g., (online) sexual exploitation and abuse, cyberbullying) and negative coping mechanisms (e.g., substance misuse/abuse, self-harm, depression, suicide)

We know (partly from the evidence and lessons learnt out of Ebola outbreaks) that prolonged closures of educational institutions often:

• increase drop-out rates, in particular among adolescent girls (who generally take on a heavier part of the burden of household chores, support with child care, etc., may be exploited, married or pregnant)

• further entrench gender gaps in education (in particular when harsh socio-economic conditions make families favour the education of boys over girls — despite research showing higher socio-economic return for the family out of girls’ education compared to that of boys on the long run)

• lead to increased protection risks (e.g., trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse, early pregnancy, early and forced marriage, child labour, recruitment by armed groups)

• pose a serious threat in terms of malnutrition and health more broadly speaking (especially for families relying on school feeding programmes or health care services offered at schools).

So, if this year we are not mindful of what young people globally are going through currently, then we lose the essence of what the day should be about and what we can do about it

The pandemic has once again reminded us that local communities are the backbone of society.

All over the world COVID-19 has challenged people in local communities to think and act differently. We have been reminded of the existing deep inequalities in our societies, with respect to access to resources, information, digital connectivity, and power dynamics around marginalisation, including institutional racism. The pandemic has caused most activities to shift online blurring the lines between personal and professional whilst increasing the need for online safety and security.

Consequently, we have noticed an inspiring and moving engagement of young people in volunteering activities, self-organising, supporting their communities during these hours of need often in the absence of state. As COVID-19 has shown, young people have — and will continue to have — a valuable role in the global response to and recovery from the COVID19 pandemic.

As COVID-19 has shown, young people have — and will continue to have — a valuable role in the global response to and recovery from the COVID19 pandemic.

Young people are agents for peace, engaged in transforming the structures and institutions that hinder the socio- economic and political well-being of people. They are often first responders and disproportionately affected by disasters taking a long time to build back better. Through volunteering and engagement, young people lift the spirits of communities and light the world with their actions. As volunteers, young people are bearers of hope and compassion, willing to make their contribution to society and effecting change through moral influence.

So this International Youth Day our reflections are not only on celebrating the contributions of young people but on understanding from the experience of COVID-19 how we can mobilise young people to act quickly and together to address these key issues. There has to be a collective commitment to collaborate, innovate, and to support local communities to provide hope to many young people. Now more than ever young people need to be included and embedded in processes taking place now, not as token representation but with agency and influence.

A lot must be done to ensure that we get the full engagement and investment. This is not only the responsibility of the youth to push for this as they inherit the problems that we create but also our collective responsibility to ensure that we do not hand something that we would not want to inherit.

So, we need to do more to invest and engage with them, but this requires a holistic approach. We need to remove the prejudice that many of us have when it comes to engaging young people. We must stop thinking that they are apolitical — more interested in following the latest instalment of a reality TV programme than in engaging with the serious questions of the world around them. We should channel their enthusiasm to express and get involved. However, we must be honest about this approach. We need to give them the space to be innovative and shape or rethink new models for the communities and societies in which they live — maybe outside the globalised economic and “social” system that they will inherit from their elders and previous generations. In doing this, we must answer some hard questions about whether we are ready for that and what it will take for each one of us to work together towards a fairer world for all of us. In short, we have to be prepared for a hard shift in how we work and engage.

we have to be prepared for a hard shift in how we work and engage.

Uncertainty and fear for the future is the ‘new normal’ for many young people. It is not enough for youth to be ‘represented’ but they must be mainstreamed, included, nurtured, listened to, consulted, and worked with in partnership with.

This is the call that is most loud and one we need to support. These are the lessons from COVID-19, and this is the call for International Youth Day 2020.

This originally appeared on Medium

Celebrating ‘The Feast’ in the Age of COVID 19

 The 31st of July 2020, for most Muslims will be celebration of the Feast (or Eid ul Adha) symbolizing the culmination of the pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca (the Hajj one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam). These few days of light and love are supposed to characterise meditation, reflection, symbolize meditation, a return to the Creator and prayers. Prayers for peace, for happiness, for justice. The Hajj serves as a symbol of unity in diversity as Malcolm X wrote “…we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood…. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colours together, irrespective of their colour”.

Thus, the Hajj represents a spiritual journey answering the invitation from God to visit Makkah and completing one of the essential pillars of Islam. It is a journey that asks for God’s forgiveness, as the human being is stripped to its core representing the destruction of the inner demons and an equalization with one’s peers. It is a journey that represents the chance to be ‘reborn’, cleansed of the challenges of life, re-energized. It is a journey of a humbling spiritual experience that takes one back to the essence of what creation and consequently life is about. It is about understanding the purpose of life’s journey.

It is about understanding the purpose of life’s journey.

The ultimate and most difficult lesson to learn on this journey is to understand our destination. For those of you who have read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the understanding of this destination is very simple:

‘Go; travel the world, look for the truth and the secret of life — every road will lead you to this sense of initiation: the secret is hidden in the place from which you set out’.

This is the apparent paradox of spiritual experience whereby the constant effort that we make to purify, to control and liberate our hearts is in the end, reconciliation with the deepest level of our being and the spark that the Creator breathed into our heart which is the spark (the fitra) of humility, the awareness of fragility, the consciousness of limitation, the shoulder of responsibility. The responsibility to live justly and fairly. It is a responsibility that connects to the ‘other’ as God reminds us that he ‘has made us into tribes and nations so that we may know each other’ (qur’an 49:13)

The Hajj affords us that opportunity both in terms of faith but in terms of the shared history of the region and of the Abrahamic Faiths. Pilgrims performing the hajj are in fact answering the prayers of Prophet Abraham / Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ishmael / Ismail (Peace Be Upon them Both), who built the Ka’abah (the House of God) and subsequently prayed to God that His most beloved of followers (and believers) would come. In the Qur’an, God orders Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him — PBUH) “…proclaim the pilgrimage to humankind, they will respond, coming to the sacred house on foot, riding every possible conveyance coming from every distant path.” (Qur’an 22:27). Those who come for the pilgrimage proclaim ‘Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik — here I am at your service O Lord, here I am’.

You come purely for the purpose that you are invited by God and respond to the prayer of Prophet Abraham (PBUH). In this journey you enact an inter religious experience that was initiated by Prophet Abraham (PBUH) and his family. The hajj allows us to follow in the footsteps of his family, from the running of Hajar (between the mounts of Safa and Marwa) to the recommended act of worship of performing a sacrifice of a sheep in remembrance of the proposed sacrifice of Abraham’s son.

As the main inspiration and father of the lines of Prophets that brought the three world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Eid ul Adha is not only significant for Muslims but should be symbolic for Christians and Jews as well. The common grounds and the commonalities of the stories of ‘the leader of all mankind’ as God describes him in the Qur’an (2:124). Abraham (PBUH) was not only a ‘nation’ (16:120) by his own right, with his descendants including Isaac, Moses and Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Them All), he was also the ‘friend’ of God (4:125) due to his qualities of sacrifice, extraordinary faith, an uncompromising commitment to upholding the oneness of God and righteousness. This is in essence the core of the three Abrahamic religions that derive their ethics and qualities from these attributes that not only lays the foundation for inter-faith dialogue but for multi-faith action as the Qur’an says “Who could be of better faith than the one who surrenders utterly to God and is a doer of good and follows that faith of Abraham, the upright one?…” (4:125)

Abraham (PBUH) teaches us belief in the one God and urges the leading of an upright life. He fought against the idols that sought to destroy society and its natural inclination to God and when the time came was willing to sacrifice his son (who in the Islamic teachings consented after being consulted by his father) in a joint act of submission to God.

Whilst there is a dispute in the different Abrahamic teachings about the identity of the son who was supposed to be sacrificed (and how things actually transpired), there is a more fundamental lesson for us to learn and that is in the willingness to give up that which is dearest and closest to us; it is whether we have the resolve and willpower necessary to achieve the higher spiritual goals deemed of us, to understand our journey back to the beginning, to understand the common and ancient origin of our human roots which is about the worship of the One Creator and the same reality of what this life means, what we have to do and where we will end up.

We have forgotten what the sacrifice is supposed to symbolize. The story and lesson of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (Peace Be Upon Them) deserves to be shared, remembered, and celebrated. The conversation between father and son on this most hardest of scenarios bears serious contemplation. In the height of challenging circumstance, the consultation of a parent with his child and the firm but soft acceptance of a parent’s wish by a child highlights a dying relationship in the world today.

In today’s context these lessons are even more poignant. Faced with the need to physically distance with COVID-19, we have learnt to ‘sacrifice’ those things that are close to us to survive. In many sad cases, we have had to sacrifice people for others, many of them being the elderly. COVID-19 really has brought to reality the importance of inter-generational dialogues and the need for delicate balance that is necessary in human relationships to ensure respect, understanding and acceptance. The Abrahamic story of Sacrifice reminds us of this delicate balance and responsibility. It also reminds us of the need for mutual respect and consultation, something that the pandemic has forced us to understand. The lockdowns in many cases has created sites and times of tension between people as a result of our close proximity. We have been forced to re-evaluate what is important and who is important in our lives. Many times, we have either drifted apart of become closer.

The story of the Sacrifice tells us that through showing the ultimate sacrifice of a parent’s closest and beloved possession for the sake of the One to whom you will eventually return, we are taught that whatever we own and are close to, pales in comparison to the ultimate possession that we have: Our relationship with The One Most High. This sacrifice coming at the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca is the very essence of the celebration. In our journey back to the beginning, to rediscover ourselves, how much will we be able to sacrifice?

how much will we be able to sacrifice?

At the heart of our consumer society, where materialism and individualism drive our daily lives, the question of the sacrifice reinforces our personal effort and commitment and invites us towards the deep horizons of introspection and meaning. This in effect is the current analogy of what Abraham (PBUH) faced in terms of his fight. We have a fight against modern and post modern consumerism and narcissism that does not take into account the beauty of human nature or the crushing debt and poverty faced by millions around the world and we must be prepared to sacrifice all that is dear to us in order to fight it. The lessons of the covid-19 lockdown reinforced that sense of going back to understanding what is really important for us.

Such is the meaning of profound spirituality requiring man to acquire a force of being and doing, rather than to undergo despotic relentlessness of a life reduced to mere instinct. Within this space, we marry the purpose of our existence with the purpose of our subsistence.

That purpose in following Abraham’s footsteps is to serve humanity, those in need; those without! That purpose is to awaken our conscience in the proximity of the wounds and the injustices people face! That purpose is to move away from selfishness / greed and waste; to distance ourselves from the darkest dimensions of our being, our violence, our jealousies, our superficialities. That purpose is to face our responsibilities with confidence and assurance

In an age of commercialism, these lessons of the Hajj have been lost amongst Muslims who settle more for the rituals and practices. Custom has transformed into duty and practice descend into commercialization and waste: waste of money; waste of meat; waste of food. A symbolic and recommended act of worship in remembrance of the Prophet Ibrahim’s (Peace be upon him) sacrifice becomes a literal obligation of animal sacrifice, so that the blood flows deep and the distribution of meat becomes the anchor for the duty. Yes, the poor, vulnerable and needy do not have meat, but no one stops to ask whether giving them meat for a day would help improve their lives or doing something else is needed.

So, in the essence of rushing to seek that instant satisfaction of redemption, we trivialize the essence of the need on the ground. Therein lies the problem. The closure of the space for reasoning, debate and rational thinking about faith, spirituality, and practice.

This sacrifice should not only remind us to be thankful for all the blessings that we have, but to be content with them. We are asked to keep in check our greed as whatever excess; we share with those who deserve special attention — the poor and needy people, as well as the orphans. This is the true meaning of the sacrifice that we make so that those in need will benefit. For the benefit of the voiceless, it is imperative not to lose our way by being driven blindly by traditional practices or by commercialization, and to come back to the very essence of the message that is part of all Abrahamic Faiths: respect and love of human beings (especially those who are vulnerable and have been unjustly treated) is a manifestation of the love for the Almighty.

getting out of the ideological box and isolationist cultural ghetto

The blessed feast of Eid ul Adha thus should not become a feast of food as it is now commonly practised but a feast of the faith of fraternal atmosphere that is shared with all brothers and sisters in faith and humanity. It should as we follow in the footsteps of Abraham (PBUH) become a rallying point to bring all members of his progeny together. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the concept of a fraternal atmosphere has been denigrated to a single notion within the mindset of the Muslim community, who have gradually entrenched themselves into an ideological box. This ideological comfort zone is an intellectual arrogance leading to an isolationist mentality and cultural ghetto, which world over, Muslim communities; especially those that live under minority situations, place themselves in. This isolationist mentality imbibes an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ attitude and has meant that the Muslim community has always been worried about ‘us’ rather than taking an all encompassing ‘we’. This assumption of singularity is the weapon of sectarian activists who want people to ignore all affiliation and loyalties in support of one specific identity. This is deeply delusive, divisive and is one that leads to social tension and violence for there is a sense of injustice and intolerance that is created from potential misunderstandings and misperceptions.

The hajj, and the symbolic teachings of the life of Abraham (PBUH), should help us to identify with others in different ways which is important in our role of living in society. It should help us remember that we are much more than a label, that our plurality and diversity are not divisive elements but are a cause for celebration but within that celebration is an understanding of common humanity and universal principles. This is the call for unity of the Muslim community and society that is made during this blessed journey. By not allowing space for discussion to examine these ideas and principles, we negate the very concept of our heritage and teachings.

The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said “You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you cannot have faith until you love one another. Have compassion on those you can see, and He Whom you cannot see will have compassion on you”. This is the Prophetic vision, fed down from Abraham (PBUH) which demonstrates how we must work, together, with others, with our neighbours. So, a world which makes sense, is a world in which we connect with other people, beyond our immediate communities and experience, and show them compassion and love.

Through Abraham’s progeny we are united by familial ties and the deep connection of our kinship. This shared human experience gives us the opportunity to remember our original spiritual substance and to realign our moral compass. We can either fight about our differences or remember that we are united in the singular conviction that Abraham (PBUH) held.

This is the shared message we share with our brothers and sisters of Abraham’s progeny: ‘to serve humanity, those in need; those without… To awaken your conscience in the proximity of the wounds and the injustices people face…To move away from your heart, your bad thoughts…To distance yourself from the darkest dimensions of your being, your violence, your jealousies, your superficialities’

The fortunate 1000 out of the 2.5 million who have been chosen to perform the Hajj this year, specially invited by God carry the hopes and prayers of billions on their shoulders as they answer Abraham’s (PBUH) prayer. They remind us of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic which has really disrupted normalcy and created many more questions for us to ponder as we physically distance from each other. Seeing the 1000 perform their rites, it reminds us that to truly bask in the legacy of Abraham (PBUH), it is imperative not to lose our way by being driven blindly by traditional practices or by commercialization, and to come back to the very essence of the message of the respective faiths: respect and love of human beings as a manifestation of the love for the Almighty and to remember our responsibilities to humanity.

So, with the Hajj being performed under the Pandemic conditions let us come back to the essential. Let us remember that this more than anything is a feast of fraternal atmosphere that is shared by all and thus in reaching out to address the true objective of spirituality through prayers and good deeds, let us remember the right that the poor have on us. Let us avoid the waste and more importantly the wasted sacrifices. Let us remember how to reach out to the ‘other’ from our shared heritage.

May the Almighty, who loves you, guide and protect you. May there be peace and respite for all those who are suffering. May you spend time with your loved ones in an atmosphere of happiness; Happy Feast!!

This originally appeared on Medium

Reimagining Volunteering after COVID

 COVID-19 has hit almost every country in the world, heavily affecting communities at all levels. What has been unprecedented has been the inability of national governments to be able to respond adequately and consistently. The gap in the response of the government has been filled by civil society manned by millions of volunteers, who despite facing the effects of the pandemic in their own lives, have stepped up to work around the clock to prevent the transmission of the virus, communicate effectively with the public, help communities already affected by the outbreak to maintain access to basic social and protective services, and reduce the economic, social and psychological impact on people. These volunteers have provided a range of services, according to needs and existing capacities, risking their lives working in this crisis with many not having access to basic health insurance, nor insurance to support their families should they be injured and unable to work or killed.

Volunteering is part of the DNA and fabric of local communities, highlighting the best that can be achieved when people come together to serve. Throughout the last 100 years or so, we have seen the tremendous good that has come about when people of their own volition have come together at times of tragedy to serve those in need. The current pandemic times are once again a reminder of that human fraternity.

Yet as we appreciate the contribution of volunteering in the age of COVID-19, we must also recognize that the concept of volunteering has evolved and needs to evolve to meet the needs of people on the ground amidst changing expectations and needs. COVID-19 has highlighted the need to really rethink volunteering.

Volunteering was always thought of as a prerogative of the privileged and elite in the 19th century: an act of charity by the better-off towards the disadvantaged. You volunteered your time because you had time to spare. In days of old, you had time to spare because you were not that focused on working or earning a living and it was the past time of the idle rich. Hence volunteering at one stage was also seen through a gendered lens because it was mainly middle- or upper-class women who were able to devote the time to ‘volunteer’.

But this concept does not match the lived experiences of many volunteers who are also members of the communities being supported as well as the experiences of many young people taking up the cause to serve the downtrodden whilst also getting viable life-skills.

The concept of 'How can I make a change in the world today?' inspires millions to work every day to make this a better place for all, many of them even putting their lives at risk.

Volunteering is at the heart of community development and perhaps one of the most powerful ways to engage in the life of a community, to create social connection and to develop a sense of belonging. Thus, volunteers can act as a catalyst for the people around them, prompting and helping others to take action, and helping people rise from apathy to being active citizens, engaged in the development processes that affect their lives, and the lives of their families and communities. Many people who have had to flee their home country have taken on volunteering roles in their new host countries. However, there is a dark side to the celebration of volunteering. In the context of decreased state spending, volunteers offer a form of cheap labour for service delivery. Narratives refer to local knowledge and relevant skills, but too often, it is not the skills and knowledge that are needed as much as a willingness to work for free.

The 21st century has brought new opportunities for volunteering as more and more people prefer to self-organize, as this sustains community and individual autonomy by avoiding dependence on outsiders and allows people to set their own development priorities. There are also new challenges that have arisen in a context where existing crises have not stopped, and there are new hazards including climate change and weather-related shocks. These new challenges are likely to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and lead to new vulnerable communities sooner than we are ready for because of food insecurity, displacement, health risks, lack of access to adequate clean water and more. We have already seen this with the effects of COVID-19. In addition, we are now seeing radical global changes with radical impacts on all communities around the world. Changing technology, scarcity of resources, the way we use land, the nature of infrastructure, the way we produce and consume, and how we organise work and information flows – all this is already in a state of transition. We are at a time when our world is interconnected as never before, not regrettably by peace, prosperity, human rights and rule of law, but increasingly by conflict, and the denial of human rights, by climate change and inequality. Unprecedented challenges over the next decade will result from a growing global population and a natural environment under threat, and the unprecedented opportunities that a data rich and educated society has for engaging.

Thus there is a need for volunteering to address these challenges and to evolve to meet these challenges. This starts with a change in the dominant idea of volunteering for donor service delivery influenced from European and North American experiences. Volunteering needs to promote the development of healthy, resilient individuals who are truly able to become agents of change within their communities, beyond their services within an organization. This will be achieved when we are finally brave enough to allow volunteers to decide for themselves and tell us what they need, what we can and should do. The future of volunteering must be one driving local innovation, decision-making and accountability, delivering agendas for others identifying activities that allow volunteers to propose and engage on personally relevant, local issues.

In this sense, Volunteering also can contribute to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) when established infrastructures are missing. Volunteering stands at a crossroads: one in which it is understood and promoted in terms that fit the histories and ideas of Europe and North America, or one that reflects diverse ideas and experiences, an agent for change, based on their local knowledge and capacities for innovation.

It is a time when voluntary service is needed more than ever invigorated by diversity and plurality better suited to the challenges facing the world. As the outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations has said, “Volunteerism is a source of community strength, resilience, solidarity and social cohesion. It brings about social change by fostering respect for diversity, equality and the participation of all. It is among society’s most vital asset.”

In this sense the Global Technical Meeting on Reimagining Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda co-hosted by The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) from the 13-16 July is a welcome opportunity to have a discussion on what the next generation of volunteering looks like and how it can be leveraged as a transformative force for the SDGs.

This originally appeared here on New World Order