IYV - Brazil National Committee: News on the Celebrations of the Volunteers Centers on December 5th

Rio de Janeiro

The Volunteers Center in Rio de Janeiro organized a public act at the center of the city, on December 5, to mark the inauguration of the International Volunteer Year. On the 4th of December, Rede Globo, Programa Voluntários - Conselho da Comunidade Solidária and the National Committee for the International Year presented the site www.portaldovoluntario.org.br

Brasília – DF

Promoted a get together with all volunteers at the centers headquarters and on the 7th of December, a tribute was made to the bandeirante Diogo Paes Leme by planting a tree at the Botanical Garden.

Natal – RN

The I Seminary on Social Responsibility was held on December 11 and 12.

Salvador – Bahia

Various activities were developed on December 5th:

• Kiosks for the registering of volunteers and institutions at five different points of Pelourinho ( cultural restored center)
• Inauguration of the House of the Social Volunteers
• Shows, with volunteer artists
• Distribution of information on volunteer work

These activities were promoted by the Centro de Voluntários da Bahia, Voluntárias Sociais da Bahia and the Instituto de Ação Comunitária – IAC.

São Paulo – SP

The Centro de Voluntariado of São Paulo invited journalists, businessmen, representatives of non profit organizations and other people interested on volunteer work to a breakfast at Shopping Center Iguatemi. The various activities included the presentation of the International Volunteer Year, choir and the web site called Portal do Voluntario with the sponsorship of Rede Globo and the National Committee for the year. The Centro de Voluntariado also programmed the presentation of the play Aí Vem o Dilúvio and the Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica paid tribute to its co-workers and presented the program Voluntariado 2001.

Florianópolis – SC

The Assembleia Legislativa of Santa Catarina held a celebration ceremony for the Volunteer Day.

Rio Claro – SP

Promoted the following activities:

• handed out merit diplomas to volunteers indicated by the institutions registered at the Centro de Voluntários
• teenagers painted light posts at the Public Graden
• the campaign "Paz, esta é a minha bandeira", was started with the construction of a Christmas tree where people will write what they compromise to do in favor of peace; distribution of tulips in organdie with messages of peace; distribution of invitations for people to dress their houses, cars and themselves in white for peace.

Presidente Prudente – SP

Promoted the Integration Fair that showed the work of the institutions registered at the local Centro de Voluntariado and inaugurated a new public space that received the name of Praça do Voluntario.

Organized on December 5, the seminar Responsabilida de Social das Empresas e Trabalho Voluntario.

Recife – PE

Recife Voluntario promoted at the da Boa Viagem area, a special session with the following programme:

• Delivery of the prize Jovens Voluntários
• Round table on Historico do Voluntariado no Recife
• Delivery of the certificate of pionerism recognition on volunteer work in Recife
• First number of Periscope, bulletin of Recife Voluntario.

The Brazilian National Committee and Telefonica Company São Paulo, have established a partnership to convey, during the entire year of 2001, the International Year of the Volunteer on phone cards. Illustrated by renowned Brazilian artists and with messages referring to volunteer work. There has been a monthly edition of 500.000 cards.

Also in partnership with Shopping Centre Iguatemi, kiosks will be installed in the shopping lobbies, divulging, each month, the work developed by the non profit organisations, according to each months theme:

• January: Culture and arts
• February: Third Age
• March: Sports and Leisure
• April: Health
• May: Education
• June: Environment
• July: Youth
• August: Handicapped Person
• September: Rights Defence
• October: Infancy
• November: Solidarity
• December: Citizenship

During this year 2001 there will also occur the following activities: display of the works produced by non profit organisations, at the mall; photo exhibition on the work of Sebastião Salgado and a Charitable Auction with the most important Brazilian stylists prints creation for T-shirts.

The Centro de Integração Empresa/Escola (CIEE), an organisation which, among other things, directs undergraduate students to the working market, will be offering a monthly lecture on the theme of the month, about volunteer work for the students. Each lecture will become a book to be released at the end of the year.

From July, 2001, on the Universidade PUC campus, it was held the I International Congress Volunteer in Brazil, promoting the interchange of national and international experiences on volunteer work at the international year. The Congress discussed Volunteer and Citizenship, Volunteer Management and Volunteer – Social Transformation – Third Sector. The Brazilian National Committee was engaged in the organisation.

Some Volunteer Statistics:

According to the book "Doacao e Trabalho Voluntário no Brasil - uma pesquisa" (Donation and Volunteer Work in Brazil - a research) from Leilah Landim and Maria Celi Scalon: 16%, or around 14,000,000 of Brazilian adults are volunteering in Social organizations; The average of volunteer work is 74 hours a year; or 6 hours a month, or 1,5 hour a week. 58% of the volunteer action is directly connected to churches and religious groups. Social assistance ranks as the second place with 16%, followed by education (9%), development and defense of citizen's right (8%) and health (6,5%). There is a bigger proportion of volunteers aged between 35 and 54 years; In the last 5 years the youth volunteering has grown from 7% to 34% The Volunteers' profile is the common Brazilian citizen people from different ages, education levels, wages and religions that donate their time to do volunteering activities

Demonstrative Graphics:

Participation of Volunteers in Brazil: 16% volunteer, 84% do not volunteer

Kinds of Participation: 58% Religious Groups, 16% Social Assistance, 9% Education, 8% Development/Defense of Citizen's Rights, and 6.5%

Strategies taken this Year

Media: By making use of all media available, the strategy is to disclose and make known the IYV and its actions. All news associated with volunteering and voluntary work are available on a daily basis on the Website: http://www.maquinadanoticia.com.br/clipping/voluntario

Institutional: The creation of Instituto Brasil Voluntario, BRAVO (Brazil Volunteer Institute). The objective is to recognize, value and disclosure voluntary actions, as well as support activities related to the Year.

Network: To strengthen the organization network with skills aimed at supporting the work with volunteers (volunteering centers, social organizations, class associations, clubs, churches, companies, etc.) and widespreading the IYV 2001. Action: www.facaparte.com.br, site designed through a partnership with the Agency Click and Portal Terra.

Action: A National Information Center - phone number: 0800-111-814, working as a help desk to enable interested people to get enrolled and explain all their doubts about voluntary work. Example: 6,526 calls were made to the phone number 0800-111-814 from February 19 - to March 30, 2001.

Future programmed activities:

There will be a draft Children Voluntary Work Manual through a partnership with the Fundacao Educar during the month of October. "Childhood is a time when values and concepts are being built inside children, and so it is time to build the future volunteer" stated by the National Committee.

A National Campaign called: Encourage Regular Blood Donation is planned in November to establish a new culture through a partnership with all public and Private Blood Banks in the country.

The National Committee will be proposing the Foreign Relation Ministry for the creation of a social award (a medal awarded for important social actions)

For more information:

Abstracts:
	Media Impact of IYV 2001 in Brazil P. Cruz
	Connecting Society and the State with Volunteerism P. Cruz M. Villela
Statements and Resolutions:
	Lei do Serviço Voluntário: Lei n° 9.608, de 18 de fevereiro de 1998