Webinar: Valorising volunteering for people and places: International trends and experiences

When: 5th December 2024  at 11.00-12:15 CET

REGISTER HERE

Around the world, more than 860 million people volunteer at least once a month, accounting for approximately 15% of the global population. From supplementing emergency services following natural disasters, to leading youth development activities, to supporting environmental conservation, volunteers play an essential role in addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges in their communities. Their engagement yields a substantial impact, contributing an estimated 1.9% to GDP in OECD countries. Despite their importance, volunteering rates have been in on the decline globally over the past decade, with several countries experiencing historic lows. This underscores the urgent need to reinvigorate and volunteering and enhance its contributions to local development.

To mark International Volunteer Day, the OECD is launching a new paper that takes stock of the latest trends in volunteering internationally and considers approaches to strengthening policies, programmes and initiatives to support volunteering.

Join us for this webinar to hear new insights from the report, followed by an engaging panel discussion featuring leading international experts and practitioners. 

Agenda

Welcome:

• Karen Maguire, Head of Division, Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Programme, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD                           
• Setting the scene: 
  Kazuhiro Miyamoto, Former mayor of Moriyama City, Japan
• Moe Shiojiri, Policy Analyst, Social Economy and Innovation, Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Programme, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD

Panel on international experiences

• Tony Soh, Chief Executive Officer, National Volunteering and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Singapore
• Lejla Šehić Relić, President, Centre for European Volunteering (CEV)
• Jake Ryan, Principal Officer, Community and Voluntary Supports and Programmes, Department of Rural and Community Development, Government of Ireland
• … & more to come!

Q&A

About the event

The OECD Local Development Forum is a community of thousands of individuals worldwide, united by their shared commitment to making their communities more resilient, inclusive and sustainable. It brings together representatives of regional and national governments, employment and training agencies, economic and community development agencies, chambers of commerce, public employment services and social innovators from around the world. Through its events and online resources, the Forum serves as a venue for peer learning, disseminating local innovations and best practices at the global level, and bringing the OECD’s work beyond ministries to local communities.