This year, 6,500 university graduates are working as volunteers
to support China's poorest counties through the Communist Youth
League. These graduates are devoting their knowledge and energy to
developing the education, healthcare and agriculture sectors of
local communities.
Their efforts are among many being celebrated today on
International Volunteer Day.
Volunteerism in China is driven by large government-supported
campaigns and the thousands of smaller-scale, bottom-up initiatives
of grass-roots organizations.
Volunteers not only benefit the communities in which they serve,
but also benefit themselves through their service. Volunteerism
provides a means to sharpen leadership, management and
communication skills. It contributes to the glue that holds
societies together, by teaching people to be responsible citizens
and by promoting trust and harmony.
What is common to both government-driven and grass-roots
approaches is the understanding that volunteers are a powerful
force for positive change. Achieving a harmonious xiaokang
(well-off) society and the Millennium Development Goals will
require the voluntary engagement of Chinese people.
Volunteers working in China and around the world show first-hand
that they can make a difference. AIDS Care China, a community-based
organization in southern China, works with volunteers to provide
counselling, training and education to those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Their volunteer team includes many that are living
withHIV/AIDS.
On World AIDS Day, AIDS Care China was presented with the global
Red Ribbon Award by the United Nations, which recognizes
outstanding community leadership in the fight against AIDS. The
innovative volunteer work of AIDS Care China demonstrates the great
potential of close partnerships between government and grass-roots
organizations.
By increasing the number of meaningful volunteer opportunities
and improving the management of volunteers we can encourage people
from all walks of life in China to serve in their communities.
At the provincial and municipal levels in China, the government
has played a constructive role in creating infrastructure to
support the work of volunteers. Nine provinces and eight cities
have passed laws to protect and promote volunteerism.
The next step is for government and grass-roots organizations to
combine efforts to jointly establish volunteer centres in local
communities. These centres would become magnets for volunteers, and
match these motivated citizens with high-quality volunteer
opportunities and publicize the spirit of volunteerism.
Today, on International Volunteer Day, I would like to express
my deep appreciation of the personal dedication of the volunteers
throughout China who have rolled up their sleeves to build a
stronger society.
International Volunteer Day also presents an occasion to
recognize the work of Chinese volunteers promoting peace and
development overseas.
China's experience in propelling over 250 million of its people
out of poverty in the last 25 years is an example to developing
nations around the world. This year over 200 Chinese volunteers are
sharing these skills in Ethiopia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
I would like to salute this example of south-south solidarity
and encourage China to further ramp up its volunteer efforts to
contribute to the development of Asian and African countries.
The dedication of China's volunteers will soon be showcased to
the world during the Beijing Olympics, where 100,000 volunteers
will support the Games. The Olympic and volunteer spirit of the
Beijing Games can inspire scores of Chinese citizens to volunteer
in their own communities.
Let us use this opportunity to spread the ideals of service and
solidarity, which lie at the heart of volunteerism alongside the
belief that together we can make the world better.
(China Daily December 5, 2006)