Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations more open to volunteering: Make it easier for people to help people

A) Objetivos de la promesa

Since 2011, it has become evident that the number of volunteers involved in the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is smaller than the fanciful collective number used from the International Federation. It also seems true that the Red Cross or Red Crescent is not the first organization chosen in many countries for people who wish to devote their time to exercise their solidarity.

On the other hand, there are many Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations that design and deploy volunteer management processes imitating the approach of human resources or taken from the areas of human resources or labour relations with paid people. Management cycles with a large number of milestones that often cause barriers and obstacles that are noticed or inadvertent to the practice of volunteering and that, in the best case, involve slow entry and training processes for people interested in giving their time to organizations.

Nevertheless, our societies change, and they do so at an extremely accelerated pace. In addition, these changes have serious implication in the way citizens want to approach the exercise of solidarity. What is perceived today?

1. In general, a greater interest of the population for voluntary action.
2. A feeling that joining voluntary action is not easy.
3. An increasing interest of individuals is detected in linking in the exercise of solidarity to causes and not to organizations. Despite this, it has a high impact on the decision to be made because of the reputation, as perceived by people towards the organizations to which they want to be linked.
4. There is also a predilection for affiliation to the causes from short-term time frames. In other words, people have no initial intention of maintaining a long-term relationship with organizations.
5. The purpose of people who intend to link to a cause, is to develop solidarity action that makes a difference and that seems interesting personally. They do not expect long induction and training processes that prevent them from quickly initiating voluntary action.

This pledge aims to propose eight actions that cause internal changes in Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations, so that:

1. We adopt perspectives focused on covering the needs and wishes of people interested in exercising their solidarity with our National Societies.
2. Our National Societies begin to reverse the situations described above, and others not exposed in this pledge related to volunteering.

In short, we make it easier for people to help people.

B) Plan de acción

1. Incorporate the voluntary component and the volunteers in the missions and visions of the National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
2. Design and / or optimise fast entry channels for people who, wanting to give their time to the Red Cross or Red Crescent, can develop voluntary action in times as short as possible.
3. Incorporate flexible and agile forms of voluntary collaboration and action into our organizations.
4. Facilitate different ways of linkage that incorporate a focus on the cause, to respond to the demands on the exercise of solidarity that are currently taking place.
5. Facilitate that people who want to volunteer can do so regardless of the level of commitment they want to reach with the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
6. Project, through awareness actions, a positive perception and image of voluntary action towards people interested in exercising their solidarity. In addition, this projected image must convey the fact that volunteering at the Red Cross and Red Crescent does not require long waits for incorporation, and that it is focused on supporting vulnerable people with simple and efficient responses adapted to their needs and personal situation.
7. Promote that Volunteer people participate in the electoral processes of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, both in relation to passive and active suffrage.
8. Promote humanitarian diplomacy actions, so that any legislative framework that directly or indirectly influences voluntary action does not impose barriers to voluntary action

C) Indicadores para medir los avances:

– volunteering component integrated into the missions and visions of xx National Societies
– designed xx fast entry channels for access by volunteers
– xx different forms of collaboration incorporated in our National Societies
– xx awareness-raising actions carried out
– incorporation of volunteers in the electoral processes of National Societies
– xxx humanitarian diplomacy actions carried out

D) Recursos requeridos:

Human resources (volunteering and salaried staff)

Material resources to implement the actions

Pledge_Global_Volunteering_ENG.docx

Archivos adjuntos:

Pledge_Global_Volunteering_ENG.docx