AVS: Asian Voluntary Service

Drafted KAIZAWA Shinichiro on 2013 Nov. 16

This concept paper has been made based on the discussion and agreement in the Asian LTV Summit in 2013 Nov. 12-17 in Fukuoka, Japan where 22 leaders from 15 NGO in 13 countries gathered.

 1. Background

International Long and Middle Term Voluntary Service (LMTV) has been rapidly developed in Asia with creating unique impact to improve the situations of the environment, culture, development and so on, to activate the local communities and to promote intercultural understanding and friendship naturally, widely and deeply among the volunteers (mostly youth) and local people.  In Japan, it is also distinguished as one of powerful tools to grow up “global human resources” that is expected in many of universities, companies and governments.

On the other hand, the projects are not promoted yet widely enough compared with the potential needs in the societies due to lack of cross sectional collaboration , recognition in the societies and capacities of NGOs. In Europe, an exchange scheme of Long Term Volunteers named EVS (European Voluntary Service) has been actively organized since 1996 by collaboration between European Commission and NGOs in each country. As there is no such a wide inter-governmental agency in the whole Asia, NGOs have even a bigger role and mission to lead creation of AVS (Asian Voluntary Service) that could bring huge benefits for the betterment of the societies.

 2. Aims and expected impact

< General aims applying to all projects >

1. Strengthen solidarity and positive peace in Asia.

2. Improve situations of commnities by direct actions.

3. Promote volunteerism and active citizenship.

4. Grow up friendship and inter-cultural understanding.

5. Develop global human resources and capacities.

< Specific aims depending on the themes of the projects >

1. Environment

Forests, Water, Climate change, Bio-divercity, etc.

2.Development

Poverty, Health, Disaster relief,

Activating villages, etc.

3. Culture

Heritage, Diversity, Creation, etc.

4. Education

Formal, Informal, Non-formal, etc.

5. Human rights

Children, refugees, challenged people, indigeous, etc.

By these outcomes, we aim to create a sustainable, fair and peaceful world where various types of ecologies/ cultures/ personalities/ communities can harmoniously co-exist and be glittered with their own characters beyond limitation of the present modern civilizations which have caused too much expansion/ competition and huge destruction of nature, traditions and human relationship.

 3. Forms of the Projects 

4. Whole process with Timeline 

* NVDA will keep trying to find proper partners of other stakeholders such as UN agencies, governments, universities, companies, mass media, etc. for this project.

 5. Financial regulation  

* Travel cost should be paid by the volunteers themselves unless there is any special fund.

* Volunteers may also be required to pay the participation fee (maximum: 300 Euro per month) and the sending fee (maximum: 600 Euro). There can be different rate for less expensive countries/ less income NGOs by the regulation of the hosting side.

* NVDA may create a Solidarity Fund to support travel cost of the volunteers from less expensive countries which income may consist of the members contribution (certain rate of inscription fee) and donation.

* NVDA will keep trying to find external fund.

6. Contact 

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions to;

KAIZAWA Shinichiro (Mr.), President of NVDA/ President of NICE nice@nice1.gr.jp

Do Thi Phuc (Ms.), General Secretary of NVDA/ Executive Director of SJV phuc@sjvietnam.org

Tran Nam Khanh (Ms.), Office Manager of NVDA: nvda.office@gmail.com