IVCO 2023: KUALA LUMPUR CALL TO ACTION

The Kuala Lumpur Call to Action

180 representatives of volunteering in development organisations and volunteer-involving organisations from 51 countries gathered in Kuala Lumpur from the 22nd – 26th October 2023 for the International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations (IVCO) Conference 2023, hosted by Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS)/ Student Volunteers Foundation, Malaysia. IVCO is Forum’s annual conference that brings together leaders of international volunteering agencies from around the globe in a unique dialogue focusing on the challenges and opportunities currently facing volunteering in development – longstanding and newly emerging.

The IVCO 2023 theme, “A New Generation of Volunteers as Changemakers”, focused on creating and recreating opportunities to harness the full force of young people as agents of change. Young people increasingly recognise the importance of volunteering to make a difference in their communities and the world. They also bring new perspectives and ideas to the sector, challenging traditional power dynamics and advocating for more inclusive and equitable approaches to volunteering.

Despite their enthusiasm and potential, young people lack access to information and opportunities, face exclusionary practices and attitudes, do not always receive the recognition and support they need, and require accountability mechanisms in successfully executing volunteering initiatives. The COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises have further exacerbated these challenges. Volunteering organisations must adapt their practices and cultures to create more inclusive and equitable opportunities for young people to volunteer.

Call To Action

This Call to Action is a response to these challenges and opportunities. It is a call for volunteering organisations to better recognise, respect, and empower young people as changemakers.

We urge all volunteer-involving organisations to pledge their commitment to encourage and support a new generation of volunteers as changemakers by:

• Addressing power dynamics: Create spaces where young people can have a meaningful voice in shaping volunteering environments, platforms, and standards.
• Providing inclusive opportunities: Offer a variety of volunteering opportunities that are accessible to young people of all backgrounds, abilities, and interests.
• Being accountable to young people: Provide young people with opportunities to lead and participate in decision-making processes related to volunteering.
• Providing training andlearning: Invest intraining and learning opportunities that help organisations to recognise, respect, and empower young people as changemakers.
• Sharing best practices: Share best practice and lessons learned from successful youth-led volunteering initiatives.

By taking these steps, volunteer involving organisations can play a vital role in creating an enabling environment for the next generation of volunteers to flourish as changemakers. Together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable volunteering sector where all young people can thrive and have the opportunity to make a difference.

To strengthen our collective actions, Forum invites organisations in all sectors to endorse this declaration and support this Call to Action.

How to Endorse This Call to Action

To endorse the Call to Action, fill out the short form below. Your organisation’s name will be added to the list of endorsers on the Forum website.

The International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum) is the most significant global network of organisations that work with volunteers to achieve sustainable development goals. Forum exists to share information, develop good practice and enhance cooperation across the volunteering in development sector. Forum achieves this through convening, research, and standards. Forum is a ‘virtual’ network, with a global membership that includes a range of organisations involved in development cooperation including non-government and state organisations.