Volunteers

Overview

Community-based disaster preparedness and disaster risk management depend on community engagement that is to a large extent driven by people's willingness to volunteer and contribute to the social good in their communities. Volunteers, as community members, are often the ones who have the closest contact with the problems of the communities and the locations in which they live. They are also often the ones best placed to identify the needs, the vulnerabilites and also the capabilities of the people in communities at-risk to the impacts of disasters.

What do I need to know?

Basics

Often volunteers are already associated with an existing community organization and that organization has chosen disaster preparedness as one of its objectives and sets of activities. Other times, especially in disaster response, volunteers may be spontaneous and unaffiliated who have arrived at the disaster scen ready to help. In both context's volunteers' offers of help are often underutilized and run about against the disaster management system’s capacity to utilize thier time and capacities effectively.

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Resources

Get the latest videos and photos, case studies, and training materials contributed by practitioners from around the globe. Visit our Resource Library for more.

Resources

Videos (11)

TEDxKC -- Patrick Meier -- Changing The World, One Map At A Time

TEDxKC - Patrick Meier - Changing The World, One Map At A Time

UNV in action: UN Volunteers for Disaster Risk Reduction

Daily Bulletin - Day 3 - International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

International Disaster Response Law at International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

Case Studies (5)

Integrated Coastal Community Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in Demak, Central Java

In Demak, Central Java, natural forces exacerbated by human activities have escalated coastal erosion to the point of damaging the ecological system and jeopardizing opportunities for socio-economic activities in coastal areas. To mitigate the impact of coastal hazards and strengthen community...

Youth-led actions for more resilient schools and communities: Mapping of School Safety approaches and Youth in School Safety training for youth facilitators

National Societies have been implementing a wide range of school-based, youth-led actions geared toward disaster risk reduction, first aid, hygiene and health promotion, water and sanitation, road safety, and youth empowerment. With guidance from IFRC, the RCRC Southeast Asia Youth Network (SEAYN...

The Pillowcase Project International Pilot: Peru Video Case Study

The Peru Red Cross piloted Mi Funda de Almohada in 2014 in 4 provinces at risk for and recently affected by disasters. After modifying the American Red Cross curriculum to fit the Peruvian context, the Peru Red Cross trained volunteers to deliver presentations in schools throughout these provinces...

Case study: Coordination improved response time and increased concentration during emergency, volunteers report

As this case illustrates, community-led teams can take a lead in response efforts for disasters of international significance, as well as smaller and more local incidents. The Savar incident is such a case: beginning as a local incident, it has garnered considerable international media attention...

Climate change adapation in Indonesia

The Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia, PMI) is working with communities to help them understand the basic science of climate change and use this knowledge to adapt to the consequent changing weather and nature of disasters. PMI has listened to local concerns and as a result supports a...

Recent (48)

UNV Annual Report 2018: Volunteering in Motion

The 2018 Annual Report: Volunteering in Motion presents UNV's results and the contributions of UN Volunteers to our UN partners' programs and projects, including in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. File Source: https://www.unv.org/sites/default/files/UNV%20Annual%20Report%202018%20-%20Volunteering%...

Integrated Coastal Community Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in Demak, Central Java

Youth-led actions for more resilient schools and communities: Mapping of School Safety approaches and Youth in School Safety training for youth facilitators

The Pillowcase Project International Pilot: Peru Video Case Study

Find the Volunteer Inside You campaign (2011)

In 2010, the IFRC conducted a survey to establish the economic and social value of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and published a report on the findings, entitled The Value of Volunteers in January 2011. The study was based on rigorous methodology that was aligned with the International...