Youth play an important role with our nation’s volunteers
Celebrations for this year’s Youth Week will take place from 17-25 May. Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) believes that
young people should be recognised as part of the diverse community of volunteers in our nation, and as key players in
making volunteering a sustainable enterprise for the future.
The theme for Youth Week 2014 is expressed in the simple phrase: ‘Be the change.’
Young people are encouraged to embrace leadership opportunities for bringing about positive changes in their
communities. VNZ maintains that this can be achieved through contributions from people of any age or background. VNZ
Chief Executive Vanisa Dhiru explains, “Young people can play an exciting part in local and global movements to inspire
change. Causes, projects and events are all great platforms for getting involved and making a positive impact locally,
nationally and globally.”
The energy and enthusiasm that youth volunteers possess can be an asset to community development. “It is important for
community leaders to realise the impact that they have on engaging youth in volunteering efforts. By putting some simple
frameworks in place, more young people can be made aware of the ways in which they can help their communities achieve
important goals,” says Vanisa.
“Youth form the foundation for communities of the future. They have the power to affect the way their nation or world
will look by engaging with causes that have significance for them.”
Youth activities and voices hold equal strength within our diverse communities. VNZ encourages all New Zealanders to
join the celebrations of Youth Week. VNZ is a member of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), who
are currently working on developing a strategy for Global Youth Volunteers. To help them find out more about youth
volunteers in our communities, people are invited to complete a quick survey: http://es.surveymonkey.com/s/BKYZXPM
More information on Youth Week visit: www.arataiohi.org.nz/YouthWeek
Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an association of New Zealand organisations that have a commitment to volunteering,
such as volunteer centres, national and other organisations. Their mission is to promote, support and advocate for
volunteering. www.volunteeringnz.org.nz